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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bulb · chip · race · bank · rush · season · patient

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. race — a contest
  3. bank — for money
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. season — in sport
  6. race — humankind
  7. season — of the year
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. chip — for betting
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bank — of a river
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bank — for money
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rush — hurry
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bulb — for light

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