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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: bore · clip · lie · patient · temple · mate · ground · bound

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. clip — a video
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — obliged
  7. ground — the earth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. clip — for paper
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bore — to drill
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bound — certain
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. temple — a place of worship

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