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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 116 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: mate · present · mark · vault · wound · wave · patient · fine

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. mate — to breed
  3. present — the time now
  4. vault — a safe
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. mate — a partner
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. wound — an injury
  15. present — a gift
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fine — all right
  19. mark — a trace
  20. fine — high quality
  21. present — there
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — of the sea
  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