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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: temple · present · shower · racket · ball · lash · lie · patient

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. ball — a dance
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. present — the time now
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. present — a gift
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. shower — to wash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ball — a great time
  20. shower — rain
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lie — to recline

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