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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: suit · file · firm · season · patient · drill · cell · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. cell — in biology
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. suit — in cards
  10. file — a document
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. foot — a measure
  14. firm — decided
  15. cell — a phone
  16. suit — to fit
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. suit — clothes
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cell — in a prison

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