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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. court — of a king
  4. pop — to visit
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pop — soda
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. band — a music group
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. band — a ring
  14. court — for sport
  15. pop — music
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bore — to tire
  22. tear — from crying
  23. court — of law
  24. temple — a place of worship

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