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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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chair — a leader
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. lie — to recline
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. present — there
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bank — of a river
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. present — the time now
  16. capital — money
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. present — a gift
  19. bank — for money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. capital — a city
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bank — for money

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