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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: ball · temple · march · patient · hide · tube · dip · bat

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. dip — to sink
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. tube — a container
  10. march — the month
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bat — the animal
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. march — music
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. tube — the underground
  23. march — the month
  24. dip — to dunk

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