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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
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: patient · temple · cell · foot · fan · drill · rush · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cell — a phone
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. bore — to tire
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rush — hurry
  16. foot — a measure
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. drill — the tool
  24. cell — in biology

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