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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 · bay · saw · rush · fall · coach · patient · mate

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mate — a friend
  11. saw — the tool
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rush — hurry
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fall — to drop
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. mate — a partner
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. fall — the season

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