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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 120 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: lean · fine · bore · bass · temple · bat · kid · patient

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bass — low music
  3. kid — child
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. lean — thin
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bore — to drill
  11. kid — to tease
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. lean — to bend
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bass — the fish
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — all right
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. lean — to rest against

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