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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: temple · date · patient · fork · roll · lie · degree · season

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. season — of the year
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. lie — to recline
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fork — in a road
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. season — in sport
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. roll — a cake
  19. degree — from a university
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. date — the fruit
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. lie — an untruth

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