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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: toast · game · row · patient · can · hand

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. game — wild animals
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. game — a match
  7. row — to paddle
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. row — a line
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. can — a tin
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — bread

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