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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: court · temple · hand · craft · nail · deal · rash · calf

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. court — of a king
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. hand — help
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. deal — to handle
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. hand — in cards
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. craft — boats
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rash — a series
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. craft — a skill
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rash — hasty

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