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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.

Make a worksheet

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: land · cabinet · lie · date · dip · row · patient · temple

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. land — a country
  5. lie — to recline
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. dip — to sink
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. row — to paddle
  12. land — to come down
  13. date — the fruit
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. row — a line
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. land — ground
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. dip — to dunk

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