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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: temple · nail · fine · pop · bore · patient · clip · dip

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. dip — to sink
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — a video
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. clip — to cut
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fine — all right
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pop — music

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