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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: kick · temple · patient · dip · fine · pit · ruler · tube

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pit — in a race
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. tube — the underground
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fine — all right
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. tube — a container
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pit — a hole
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. dip — to sink
  24. patient — a sick person

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