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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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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: firm · game · nail · patient · bass · drill · foot · chest

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. firm — steady
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. game — wild animals
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. drill — army training
  9. bass — the fish
  10. firm — decided
  11. bass — low music
  12. drill — the tool
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. foot — a measure
  16. drill — a practice
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. game — a match
  20. firm — a company
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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