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

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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. season — to add flavour
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. lean — thin
  9. game — a match
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. drill — army training
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. roll — a list
  14. bear — the animal
  15. season — of the year
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. roll — a cake
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. season — in sport
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bear — the animal
  24. game — wild animals

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