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

Word bank: patient · staff · ruler · temple · bank · cell

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. cell — a phone
  4. staff — employees
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. staff — employees
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bank — of a river
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. staff — a stick
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bank — for money
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cell — in biology

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