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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: pop · temple · mate · perch · roll · fall · patient · fan

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. roll — a cake
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. roll — a list
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pop — soda
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pop — to visit
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pop — music
  17. fall — the season
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. perch — the fish
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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