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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: patient · jam · arm · mouse · pound · kid · spell · temple

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. spell — letters
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. spell — magic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pound — a weight
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. mouse — for a computer

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