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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: coach · nail · mate · patient · mark · cold · cabinet · temple

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. cold — not warm
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mate — to breed
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. cold — an illness
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mark — a grade
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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