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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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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: patient · kick · hide · net · temple · row · ruler · wave

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. net — for catching
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. row — to paddle
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. net — in sport
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. net — after costs
  15. kick — in football
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. row — a line
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. ruler — for measuring

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