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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: temple · patient · bear · lean · present · leaves · bark · rush

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bear — the animal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bear — the animal
  10. present — there
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. lean — thin
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. present — the time now
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bark — to shout
  22. lean — to bend
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lean — to rest against

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