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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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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 · bay · straw · pitcher · patient · bulb · date · rush

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bulb — for light
  5. date — the fruit
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. patient — a sick person
  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