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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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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: mate · arm · suit · cue · patient · bat · foot · wind

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. suit — clothes
  6. mate — a partner
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. suit — in cards
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wind — moving air
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mate — to breed
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bat — the animal

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