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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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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: track · vault · march · cap · temple · tube · patient · wave

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. march — the month
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cap — of ice
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. track — to keep track
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cap — a lid
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. vault — a safe
  16. tube — a container
  17. march — music
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. cap — a hat
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wave — with your hand

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