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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: squash · stand · temple · mark · lie · perch · patient · rest

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rest — a break
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mark — a trace
  5. perch — the fish
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rest — what's left
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. rest — what's left
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. mark — a grade
  24. perch — for a bird

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