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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.

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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 · rash · face · pass · stick · patient · mouse · trunk

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rash — hasty
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rash — a series
  19. face — to point toward
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. face — to confront
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pass — to succeed

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