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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 120 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: court · patient · stick · rest · temple · staff · last · ball

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. last — final
  3. ball — a dance
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. court — of a king
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. staff — employees
  11. ball — a great time
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. court — of law
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. staff — employees
  18. rest — what's left
  19. court — for sport
  20. staff — a stick
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. temple — a place of worship

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