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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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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 · toast · kid · lean · last · patient · court · craft

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. last — final
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. craft — boats
  4. court — of law
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. court — of a king
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. craft — a skill
  14. court — for sport
  15. lean — thin
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. kid — to tease
  22. toast — bread
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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