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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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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cap — of ice
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. land — ground
  8. mate — a partner
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. land — a country
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. fine — all right
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mate — to breed
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. spring — of water
  18. bass — low music
  19. fine — high quality
  20. land — to come down
  21. spring — the season
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bass — the fish

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