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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 120 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: board · object · patient · present · rush · temple · mark · wake

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. object — a thing
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. wake — a trail
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. object — an aim
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mark — a trace
  19. board — to get on
  20. object — to protest
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. temple — a place of worship

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