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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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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: ground · patient · pass · chest · rock · lie · calf · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ground — a position
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. chest — a box
  12. lie — to recline
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. patient — a sick person

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