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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.

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: patient · object · jam · degree · face · rash · temple · coach

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. degree — temperature
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. face — to point toward
  6. object — an aim
  7. degree — from a university
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. degree — an amount
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rash — hasty
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rash — a series
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. object — to protest
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. object — a thing
  24. face — part of the head

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