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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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Word bank
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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: temple · ball · hide · patient · root · pitcher · rush · fine

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fine — all right
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. root — of a word
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ball — a dance
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fine — high quality
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. root — of a plant
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. root — the cause

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