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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: patient · temple · bear · fine · ground · calf · fan · fall

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. fine — high quality
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bear — the animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fine — all right
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fall — the season
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. ground — the earth
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fall — to drop
  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