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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: object · patient · temple · stem · cap · lie · content · press

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. object — an aim
  3. content — happy
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — to protest
  9. press — a publisher
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cap — a lid
  14. lie — to recline
  15. content — the amount
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stem — to come from
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. press — to push
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cap — of ice
  24. lie — an untruth

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