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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: cell · patient · object · coach · wake · season · plane · temple

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wake — a trail
  3. object — to protest
  4. season — of the year
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. object — an aim
  13. season — in sport
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. plane — a tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. cell — in biology
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. object — a thing
  24. cell — a phone

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