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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: temple · cold · wave · fan · ground · patient · deal · suit

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. suit — in cards
  5. deal — to handle
  6. suit — clothes
  7. ground — crushed
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. cold — not warm
  18. suit — to fit
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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