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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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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 · bass · kid · temple · bowl · hide · date · patient

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — to tease
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. deal — to handle
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bass — low music
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. date — the fruit
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bass — the fish

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