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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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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: lie · vault · patient · branch · club · ball · wound · mate

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mate — to breed
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. branch — a division
  6. club — for dancing
  7. wound — an injury
  8. club — for golf
  9. lie — to recline
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mate — a friend
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. club — a group
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wound — an injury
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mate — a partner
  24. ball — a round shape

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