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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: coach · temple · saw · race · key · patient · object · snap

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. race — a contest
  3. key — in music
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. snap — to click
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. race — the arms race
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. key — the most important part
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. key — for a lock
  18. race — humankind
  19. saw — the tool
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. object — a thing
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. patient — a sick person

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