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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mark · hand · cold · temple · fine · lean · patient · root

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — an illness
  4. lean — to bend
  5. hand — help
  6. root — the cause
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cold — not warm
  11. mark — a trace
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. lean — thin
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. hand — in cards
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. hand — part of the body

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