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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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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: temple · deal · rock · spring · face · bat · pit · patient

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. spring — a coil
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. face — to confront
  12. pit — in a race
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pit — a hole
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. spring — the season
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. spring — of water
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bat — the animal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. face — part 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