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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: court · bear · calf · chest · patient · season · hand · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bear — the animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bear — the animal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. hand — in cards
  10. chest — of your body
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. court — of law
  14. foot — a measure
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. season — of the year
  17. chest — a box
  18. court — of a king
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. hand — help
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. court — for sport
  24. season — in sport

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