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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: stand · wake · rule · face · temple · saw · patient · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. face — to confront
  5. rule — a law
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rule — government
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wake — a trail
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. face — to point toward
  21. stand — to bear
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. temple — a place of worship

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