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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bore · chair · arm · patient · spell · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spell — letters
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. spell — magic
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bore — to drill
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. spell — a short time
  18. patient — calm and waiting

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