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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 120 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
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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: land · fine · pass · cue · wound · patient · straw · temple

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. straw — a straw man
  2. land — to come down
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. land — ground
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cue — a signal
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. wound — an injury
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. land — a country
  11. fine — high quality
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. fine — all right
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. cue — a hint
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cue — for pool
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pass — to succeed
  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