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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: craft · content · patient · rush · toast · tear · temple · band

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. content — the amount
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. toast — bread
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. craft — boats
  11. band — a ring
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. tear — from crying
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. tear — to rip
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. band — a music group
  24. content — happy

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