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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
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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 · bay · date · season · temple · drill · face · wound

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. season — of the year
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. drill — army training
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. face — to point toward
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. face — to confront
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. drill — a practice
  18. season — in sport
  19. face — part of the head
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wound — an injury
  24. drill — the tool

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