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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bore — to drill
  8. net — after costs
  9. bore — to tire
  10. band — a ring
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. net — in sport
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. net — for catching
  17. band — a music group
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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