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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: wind · temple · can · bay · mate · vault · stand · field

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. field — for sport
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. mate — to breed
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. field — a subject
  7. mate — a partner
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wind — moving air
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. can — to be able to
  17. field — farmland
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. can — a tin
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. can — a tin
  24. wind — moving air

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