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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: patient · kick · toast · lie · calf · mark · can · temple

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. lie — to recline
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mark — a grade
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. toast — bread
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. can — to be able to
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mark — a trace
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. kick — in football
  17. can — a tin
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. can — a tin
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. kick — a thrill

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