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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.

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: track · kid · present · craft · tube · patient · temple · fan

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. kid — child
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. craft — a skill
  10. present — the time now
  11. track — to keep track
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. track — a path
  14. present — there
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. present — a gift
  18. track — a song
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. craft — boats
  21. tube — the underground
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. kid — to tease

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