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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
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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 · shower · game · lean · mark · patient · drill · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. shower — to wash
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lean — thin
  6. drill — a practice
  7. shower — rain
  8. mark — a grade
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. lean — to bend
  12. drill — army training
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mark — a trace
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. game — a match
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rest — a break

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