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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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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. present — there
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. toast — bread
  11. present — a gift
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. present — the time now

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