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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
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: foot · patient · suit · chest · charge · can · arm · wound

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. foot — a measure
  3. charge — electricity
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wound — an injury
  8. suit — clothes
  9. can — a tin
  10. suit — to fit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wound — an injury
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. charge — a price
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. charge — in control
  22. can — to be able to
  23. chest — a box
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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