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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.

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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: pit · kid · drill · patient · bulb · cue · temple · mouse

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. kid — to tease
  8. drill — army training
  9. pit — in a race
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. drill — a practice
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. drill — the tool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bulb — of a plant

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