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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: hide · mate · temple · patient · fine · pound · tear · chest

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. chest — of your body
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mate — a friend
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chest — a box
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. chest — of your body
  12. fine — all right
  13. tear — to rip
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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