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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 · bear · deal · kick · arm · shower · hand

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. shower — rain
  3. bear — the animal
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. kick — in football
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. shower — to wash
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. arm — a part of something

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