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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 120 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: rest · rash · hand · deal · foot · patient · band · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. band — a ring
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rash — hasty
  8. hand — help
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. band — a music group
  12. cue — a hint
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. foot — a measure
  17. rest — a break
  18. deal — to handle
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rash — a series
  21. rest — what's left
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rest — what's left

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