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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: clip · cell · object · rock · temple · patient · fall · mate

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. cell — a phone
  6. clip — for paper
  7. mate — to breed
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. clip — to cut
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. clip — a video
  13. fall — the season
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mate — a friend
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — to protest
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. object — a thing
  22. cell — in biology
  23. mate — a partner
  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