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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: trunk · kid · band · bound · press · lie · temple · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bound — certain
  3. press — to push
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bound — tied together
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — newspapers
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bound — obliged
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. band — a ring
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — to tease
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. band — a music group
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. kid — child

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