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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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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: cap · temple · safe · racket · cell · row · patient · mark

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cap — a hat
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. row — to paddle
  9. cell — a phone
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cap — of ice
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cap — a lid
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mark — a trace
  21. row — a line
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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