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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: deal · patient · spell · sharp · temple · game · safe · fan

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. sharp — clever
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. game — a match
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. game — wild animals
  10. spell — magic
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spell — a short time
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. spell — letters

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