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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: mine · press · spring · patient · land · jam · mark · temple

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. press — newspapers
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mark — a trace
  14. press — to push
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. land — to come down
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. spring — the season
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. land — a country
  21. spring — of water
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. land — ground

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