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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
468
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: scale · ball · press · rash · patient · temple · coach · straw

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. scale — in music
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rash — a series
  7. scale — size or range
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rash — hasty
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. ball — a great time
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a round shape

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