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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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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: temple · patient · mouse · dip · content · race · cap · key

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cap — a hat
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. cap — a lid
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. content — the amount
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. race — a contest
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. content — happy
  23. key — for a lock
  24. race — humankind

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