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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: patient · pop · hide · wave · hand · foot · bat · arm

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pop — soda
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pop — to visit
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bat — the animal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pop — music
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. hide — to keep secret

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