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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: patient · cabinet · mark · deal · charge · temple · row · mate

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mate — a partner
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. charge — in control
  11. mark — a trace
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mate — to breed
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. row — a line
  20. mate — a friend
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. row — to paddle

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