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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.

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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: capital · branch · patient · safe · rest · march · ground · temple

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  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. march — the month
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. branch — a division
  5. capital — money
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rest — a break
  9. ground — a position
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ground — the earth
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rest — what's left
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ground — crushed
  17. march — the month
  18. capital — a city
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. march — music
  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