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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: patient · tear · foot · temple · plane · date · mouse · ground

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. tear — from crying
  3. plane — a tool
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ground — crushed
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. tear — to rip
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. tear — from crying
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ground — a position
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. ground — the earth
  24. temple — side of the head

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