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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: temple · hand · patient · arm · rash · deal · fan · calf

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. rash — hasty
  9. hand — help
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. hand — in cards
  23. deal — to handle
  24. patient — a sick person

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