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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: net · patient · bay · hand · rush · pass · deal · temple

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. net — after costs
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. net — for catching
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. deal — to handle
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. hand — help
  20. net — in sport
  21. pass — a permit
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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