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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: calf · temple · patient · clip · root · face · deal · pit

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. root — the cause
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pit — in a race
  7. face — to confront
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. root — of a word
  15. pit — a hole
  16. face — to point toward
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. face — part of the head
  20. root — of a plant
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — to cut

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