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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. row — a line
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bulb — for light
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. tear — to rip
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. season — in sport
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bulb — for light
  15. row — to paddle
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. plane — a tool
  19. tear — from crying
  20. season — of the year
  21. tear — from crying
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. track — a song

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