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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: hand · spell · rash · swing · kid · pass · patient · stick

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. kid — child
  5. rash — a series
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. spell — magic
  12. hand — help
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. swing — to play on
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — to tease
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — music
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. spell — letters
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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