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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. fine — all right
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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