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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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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: row · content · patient · nail · pit · race · object · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — happy
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. object — to protest
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. row — to paddle
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pit — in a race
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pit — a hole
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. race — a contest
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. race — humankind
  20. row — a line
  21. object — an aim
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. object — a thing

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