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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: suit · cap · mug · patient · temple · mate · charge · field

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cap — a lid
  3. mug — a cup
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mate — a partner
  6. charge — a price
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — for sport
  9. suit — clothes
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mug — a face
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. field — farmland
  15. charge — electricity
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cap — a hat
  18. charge — in control
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mug — to rob
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. suit — in cards

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