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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 120 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: saw · present · temple · patient · chest · bay · vault · shower

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. present — the time now
  3. shower — to wash
  4. present — there
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. chest — a box
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. chest — of your body
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. shower — rain
  20. present — a gift
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. chest — of your body
  24. saw — the tool

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