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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 120 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
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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 · fall · present · court · last · leaves · patient · can

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. last — final
  3. last — to go on
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. court — of law
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. can — to be able to
  8. court — for sport
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. fall — to drop
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. last — finally
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. can — a tin
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. present — a gift
  21. court — of a king
  22. can — a tin
  23. fall — to drop
  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