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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. staff — a stick
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chair — a leader
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pit — in a race
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rest — what's left
  16. tube — the underground
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. hand — help
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rest — a break
  24. tube — a container

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