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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · vault · temple · hide · firm · patient · file · game

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. firm — decided
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. file — a line of people
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. firm — steady
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. file — a document
  13. game — a match
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. game — wild animals
  17. vault — a safe
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. file — a tool
  21. rock — a stone
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. firm — a company

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com