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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: cap · bulb · arm · vault · fork · temple · patient · suit

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bulb — for light
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cap — of ice
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. fork — in a road
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cap — a hat
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bulb — for light
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. suit — in cards
  20. vault — a safe
  21. suit — clothes
  22. cap — a lid
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fork — a garden 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