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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.

Make a worksheet

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: saw · bass · patient · jam · wound · tear · net · temple

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bass — the fish
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wound — an injury
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bass — low music
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. net — in sport
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. tear — to rip
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. net — after costs
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. temple — a place of worship

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