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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.

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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: arm · bore · object · tear · temple · bowl · shower · patient

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bore — to tire
  5. tear — to rip
  6. object — an aim
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bore — to drill
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. tear — from crying
  14. object — to protest
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. shower — rain
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. object — a thing
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. shower — to wash

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