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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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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: lie · bound · patient · object · cap · mine · nail · temple

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bound — obliged
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. object — a thing
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cap — a lid
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cap — of ice
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. object — to protest
  13. bound — certain
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bound — tied together
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lie — to recline
  20. object — an aim
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cap — a hat
  24. temple — a place of worship

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