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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: foot · court · dip · trunk · patient · lean · hand · suit

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. suit — to fit
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. foot — a measure
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. court — of law
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. court — for sport
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. suit — clothes
  19. dip — to sink
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. court — of a king
  22. suit — in cards
  23. lean — to bend
  24. hand — part of the 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