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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: wave · chest · cap · pass · temple · toast · band · patient

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cap — of ice
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. band — a ring
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. cap — a lid
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pass — a permit
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. band — a music group
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. toast — bread
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. patient — a sick person

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