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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 · mug · date · chip · clip · patient · vault · can

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. vault — a safe
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. clip — to cut
  12. can — a tin
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. can — a tin
  15. mug — to rob
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. can — to be able to
  20. date — the fruit
  21. chip — for betting
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — for paper
  24. date — on the calendar

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