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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: roll · deal · mark · rash · rest · kick · calf · hand

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rash — a series
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. hand — help
  13. rest — what's left
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. deal — to handle
  21. kick — in football
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. roll — a cake

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