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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. shower — rain
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mate — a friend
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. craft — boats
  12. club — for golf
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wax — to grow
  21. club — a group
  22. wound — an injury
  23. shower — to wash
  24. club — for dancing

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