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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. spell — magic
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. spell — letters
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. land — ground
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rest — a break
  14. present — there
  15. land — a country
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. land — to come down
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. date — the fruit
  24. temple — a place of worship

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