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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: season · mine · object · arm · patient · foot · wake · net

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wake — a trail
  3. object — an aim
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. object — a thing
  11. net — in sport
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. season — in sport
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mine — for digging
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — after costs
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. object — to protest

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