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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: patient · chest · last · object · can · cell · suit · hand

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. suit — clothes
  4. last — to go on
  5. object — a thing
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. object — to protest
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. can — a tin
  12. chest — a box
  13. cell — in biology
  14. object — an aim
  15. can — a tin
  16. suit — to fit
  17. hand — help
  18. cell — a phone
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. last — final
  21. suit — in cards
  22. last — finally
  23. can — to be able to
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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