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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: key · temple · calf · perch · patient · wind · club · fine

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. club — for dancing
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wind — moving air
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. key — the most important part
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. key — for a lock
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. key — in music
  17. wind — moving air
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fine — high quality
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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