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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: patient · lash · scale · bound · mouse · temple · stem · roll

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bound — certain
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. roll — a cake
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. roll — a list
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. scale — size or range
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. stem — to come from
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. patient — a sick person

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