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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: vault · patient · saw · craft · temple · lean · racket · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lean — to bend
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. vault — a safe
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lean — thin
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. patient — a sick person

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