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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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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 · patient · rash · wound · lie · craft · cold · prune

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lie — to recline
  4. rash — hasty
  5. cold — an illness
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. craft — boats
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. craft — a skill
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. wound — an injury
  17. prune — to trim
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. cold — not warm
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. patient — a sick person
  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