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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chest · patient · staff · nail · present · cell

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. present — the time now
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. staff — employees
  6. present — a gift
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cell — in biology
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cell — a phone
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chest — of your body
  13. staff — a stick
  14. present — there
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. staff — employees

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