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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: scale · wave · toast · patient · vault · trunk · bound · lie

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. toast — bread
  9. scale — size or range
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bound — tied together
  14. lie — to recline
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. vault — a safe
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. lie — an untruth

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