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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: hand · content · foot · file · net · cabinet · arm · patient

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. file — a line of people
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. file — a tool
  10. net — for catching
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. net — in sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — a measure
  17. net — after costs
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. content — happy
  22. hand — help
  23. file — a document
  24. content — the amount

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