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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 · rash · hand · suit · deal · temple · swing · foot

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. hand — in cards
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. suit — to fit
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. swing — to play on
  11. suit — in cards
  12. roll — a cake
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. swing — music
  17. suit — clothes
  18. deal — to handle
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. hand — help
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. roll — a list

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