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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 120 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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468
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: patient · arm · degree · fall · bass · rash · dip · club

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. club — for golf
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. degree — temperature
  9. fall — to drop
  10. degree — an amount
  11. dip — to sink
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fall — to drop
  16. degree — from a university
  17. club — a group
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bass — low music
  23. rash — hasty
  24. fall — the season

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