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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: rock · temple · land · patient · mark · date · saw · fan

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. land — to come down
  3. mark — a grade
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. saw — the tool
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. land — a country
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rock — music
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. land — ground

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