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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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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: tear · patient · face · fork · mouse · perch · pass · temple

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fork — in a road
  5. tear — to rip
  6. pass — a permit
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. tear — from crying
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. face — to confront
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. face — to point toward
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pass — to spend time

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