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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.

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: lash · patient · degree · temple · band · sharp · bowl · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. band — a ring
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. band — a music group
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. degree — temperature
  10. field — farmland
  11. sharp — clever
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. degree — from a university
  16. field — for sport
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. degree — an amount
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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