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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · fall · key · patient · current · temple · press · march

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. march — the month
  4. current — electric
  5. march — music
  6. press — newspapers
  7. fall — to drop
  8. key — in music
  9. current — happening now
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. track — a path
  13. track — a song
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. press — to push
  17. track — to keep track
  18. key — the most important part
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. current — of water
  21. march — the month
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. press — a publisher

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