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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. row — to paddle
  7. club — for dancing
  8. chest — of your body
  9. club — a group
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. wake — a trail
  12. drill — army training
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. drill — the tool
  15. chest — a box
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. drill — a practice
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. club — for golf
  24. row — a line

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