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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: staff · lie · patient · pit · mug · degree · temple · rash

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. staff — employees
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. mug — a cup
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pit — a hole
  9. degree — an amount
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mug — to rob
  14. degree — from a university
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rash — a series
  17. mug — a face
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. staff — employees
  20. degree — temperature
  21. pit — in a race
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rash — hasty

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