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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: patient · calf · bark · rush · deal · wound · arm · board

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rush — hurry
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bark — to shout
  11. board — to get on
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. board — a committee
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. board — a flat piece

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