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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: chest · bay · temple · saw · patient · lie · capital · press

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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. patient — a sick person
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. press — a publisher
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. capital — a city
  11. press — newspapers
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. capital — money
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. press — to push
  23. chest — of your body
  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