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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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Word bank
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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: temple · sharp · last · chip · patient · pit

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pit — in a race
  5. chip — for betting
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. last — finally
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pit — a hole
  15. chip — to eat
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. sharp — clever

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