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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: rock · patient · temple · bore · bulb · mark · band · tear

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mark — a grade
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. band — a music group
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bulb — for light
  13. band — a ring
  14. mark — a trace
  15. tear — from crying
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bulb — for light
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bore — to drill
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rock — music

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