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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. fine — all right
  7. rest — a break
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fine — high quality
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rest — what's left
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rest — what's left
  18. capital — money
  19. chair — a leader
  20. capital — a city
  21. content — happy
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. patient — a sick person

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