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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: patient · temple · plane · branch · ball · fine · rule · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. ball — a dance
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rule — a law
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. land — a country
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. branch — a division
  13. fine — high quality
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fine — all right
  16. plane — a tool
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. land — ground
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rule — government

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