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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: patient · nail · hand · roll · rash · plane · temple · rest

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. plane — a tool
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. roll — a list
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rest — what's left
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rash — hasty
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. hand — help
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. roll — a cake
  16. rest — a break
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rest — what's left
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rash — a series

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