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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: mouse · jam · last · temple · sharp · rash · rush · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. rash — hasty
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. rash — a series
  14. last — finally
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. last — to go on
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rush — hurry
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. last — final

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