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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rash — hasty
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. band — a ring
  13. deal — to handle
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. band — a music group
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rash — a series
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. nail — for a hammer

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