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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: temple · patient · spell · mate · fork · wind · staff · coach

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. fork — in a road
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mate — a partner
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. staff — a stick
  14. wind — moving air
  15. spell — letters
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wind — moving air
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mate — to breed

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