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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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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: rash · craft · ruler · temple · arm · patient · shower · kid

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. shower — to wash
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rash — hasty
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rash — a series
  18. craft — a skill
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. craft — boats
  24. arm — a part of something

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