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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 120 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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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 · pit · file · branch · temple · mate · pass · cabinet

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pit — in a race
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. branch — a division
  5. mate — a partner
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mate — to breed
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. mate — a friend
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. file — a line of people
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. file — a tool
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. file — a document
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. branch — of a tree

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