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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 124 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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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: board · net · temple · vault · wound · bank · bay · patient

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wound — an injury
  4. net — for catching
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. board — to get on
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bank — for money
  15. net — in sport
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. board — a committee
  19. vault — a safe
  20. net — after costs
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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