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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: staff · dip · patient · rock · temple · straw · bear · clip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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 — a sauce
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rock — a stone
  6. clip — a video
  7. staff — employees
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. staff — a stick
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. clip — for paper
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. staff — employees
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  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