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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. sharp — clever
  4. band — a ring
  5. file — a document
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bulb — for light
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bulb — for light
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. band — a music group

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