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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: net · kick · patient · game · temple · race · vault · wake

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. vault — a safe
  4. game — a match
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. net — in sport
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. kick — in football
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. net — after costs
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. race — humankind
  20. net — for catching
  21. wake — a trail
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. race — a contest
  24. kick — with a leg

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