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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: row · wave · temple · charge · bulb · fall · bore · patient

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bore — to drill
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. row — a line
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bore — to tire
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. charge — a price
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. charge — in control

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