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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · hide · saw · land · patient · stem · squash · bowl

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. squash — to crush
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. saw — the tool
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. land — ground
  13. stem — to come from
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. land — to come down
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. land — a country
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. saw — the tool
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. temple — a place of worship

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