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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.

Make a worksheet

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: temple · press · current · coach · swing · patient · rule · leaves

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. swing — to play on
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rule — a law
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. current — electric
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. press — a publisher
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. current — of water
  21. press — to push
  22. current — happening now
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. press — newspapers

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