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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: face · cap · patient · roll · fall · temple · sharp · chip

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. roll — a list
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fall — to drop
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. fall — the season
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. face — to confront
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. chip — to eat
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. chip — for betting
  20. fall — to drop
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. roll — a cake

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