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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. swing — music
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. lie — to recline
  5. row — a line
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. row — to paddle
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bear — the animal
  17. swing — in golf
  18. degree — from a university
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bear — the animal
  24. degree — an amount

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