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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.

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: arm · stand · pitcher · bore · cell · patient · wound · hand

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bore — to tire
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. cell — in biology
  20. hand — help
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stand — to bear
  24. pitcher — a jug

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