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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. capital — money
  5. mate — a partner
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fall — the season
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mate — a friend
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. key — in music
  16. present — a gift
  17. fall — to drop
  18. key — for a lock
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. present — there
  21. mate — to breed
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. capital — a city
  24. present — the time now

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