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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.

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: leaves · temple · rush · key · spell · patient · mate · swing

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mate — to breed
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — a friend
  7. spell — magic
  8. key — in music
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. swing — in golf
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — music
  18. spell — letters
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — the most important part
  22. spell — a short time
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. temple — side of the head

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