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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: face · patient · lash · plane · temple · court · stick · object

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. face — to confront
  7. court — of law
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. object — a thing
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. object — to protest
  14. face — part of the head
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. object — an aim
  21. face — to point toward
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. plane — a tool
  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