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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.

Make a worksheet

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: staff · patient · board · temple · current · mouse · rule · face

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. current — electric
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. current — of water
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. staff — a stick
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. board — to get on
  14. staff — employees
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. board — a committee
  17. current — happening now
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rule — a law
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. staff — employees
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rule — government

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