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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.

Words on the sheet
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: track · arm · fan · rush · patient · mine · calf · band

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. band — a ring
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. band — a music group
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. track — to keep track
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. track — a path
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. track — a song
  23. mine — for digging
  24. patient — a sick person

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