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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: bank · patient · race · season · dip · ground · temple · firm

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. race — humankind
  6. bank — for money
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. firm — steady
  9. race — the arms race
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. season — of the year
  12. ground — the earth
  13. firm — a company
  14. bank — of a river
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. firm — decided
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. race — a contest
  20. bank — for money
  21. season — in sport
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — a position

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