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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
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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: bulb · dip · patient · root · tear · temple · game · hand

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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 sink
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. root — the cause
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. tear — to rip
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. hand — help
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. root — of a word
  12. game — wild animals
  13. root — of a plant
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bulb — for light
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. hand — in cards
  23. patient — a sick person
  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