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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: safe · pop · temple · dip · wake · patient · racket · rest

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pop — to visit
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pop — soda
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wake — a trail
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pop — music
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. temple — side of the head

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