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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 · rush · temple · degree · nail · staff · hand · calf

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. hand — help
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. staff — employees
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rush — hurry
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. staff — a stick
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. degree — from a university
  17. hand — in cards
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. degree — temperature
  22. staff — employees
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. rush — to hurry

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