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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: perch · face · drill · capital · dip · chair · patient · temple

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. dip — to sink
  3. capital — money
  4. drill — the tool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. face — part of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. perch — the fish
  10. face — to confront
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. drill — army training
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. capital — a city
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. drill — a practice
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — to sit on

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