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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.

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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bank — for money
  5. field — farmland
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. can — a tin
  9. field — for sport
  10. rock — music
  11. hand — help
  12. field — a subject
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. can — a tin
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bank — for money
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. can — to be able to
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. hand — part of the body

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