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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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468
Word bank
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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. march — the month
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bass — the fish
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cell — in biology
  11. march — music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cell — a phone
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. march — the month
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — low music
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. temple — side of the head

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