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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 120 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
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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: ground · patient · temple · stem · press · land · rule · lie

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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. land — a country
  4. land — ground
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rule — government
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stem — to come from
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. lie — to recline
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. ground — crushed
  18. land — to come down
  19. press — newspapers
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rule — a law
  23. press — to push
  24. ground — a position

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