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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.

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: fan · pop · temple · patient · content · stand · press · kid

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pop — to visit
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. stand — to bear
  8. press — newspapers
  9. content — happy
  10. press — to push
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. content — the amount
  15. pop — soda
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pop — music
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. press — a publisher
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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