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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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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: bear · hand · temple · suit · mug · face · squash · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mug — a cup
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mug — a face
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. squash — the sport
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. face — part of the head
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. mug — to rob
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bear — the animal
  15. face — to point toward
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bear — the animal
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. hand — help
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. suit — clothes

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