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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · land · temple · craft · stem · pitcher · hide · rest

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rest — what's left
  5. craft — boats
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. land — ground
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — to come from
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. craft — a skill
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rest — a break
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. land — to come down
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rest — what's left
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. land — a country
  24. hide — to keep secret

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