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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pass — a permit
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bulb — for light
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. last — to go on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. staff — employees
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. staff — employees
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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