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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: spell · temple · patient · mate · bank · key · root · chest

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mate — to breed
  4. key — the most important part
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. root — the cause
  8. chest — a box
  9. key — for a lock
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bank — of a river
  13. spell — magic
  14. root — of a word
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. spell — letters
  18. root — of a plant
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bank — for money
  21. key — in music
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bank — for money
  24. mate — a partner

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