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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitcher · temple · patient · snap · wind · mark

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. snap — to click
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mark — a grade
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wind — moving air
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wind — moving air
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. mark — a trace
  18. patient — calm and waiting

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