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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.

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: firm · rush · patient · clip · ruler · content · staff · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. content — the amount
  4. staff — employees
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. content — happy
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — a video
  9. firm — decided
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. staff — a stick
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. firm — steady
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rush — hurry
  19. staff — employees
  20. firm — a company
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. clip — for paper
  24. content — videos and posts

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