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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: temple · pop · patient · bore · ruler · chest · lean · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lean — thin
  9. key — the most important part
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. chest — a box
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pop — music
  18. bore — to tire
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pop — soda
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. key — in music
  24. lean — to bend

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