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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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. land — a country
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. lean — thin
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. mark — a trace
  13. land — ground
  14. lean — to bend
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. mark — a grade
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bark — to shout
  22. land — to come down
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. toast — bread

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