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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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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: calf · arm · bark · patient · game · roll · rush · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. game — a match
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. game — wild animals
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. rush — hurry
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bark — to shout
  19. roll — a cake
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. roll — a list
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rush — to hurry

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