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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: ruler · patient · spell · bay · cold · leaves · temple · fork

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spell — magic
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. fork — in a road
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. spell — letters
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. spell — a short time
  19. cold — an illness
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cold — not warm

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