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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: ball · temple · patient · date · cabinet · wind · deal · lean

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. lean — thin
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wind — moving air
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wind — moving air
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. date — the fruit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. patient — a sick person

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