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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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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: cell · chair · lie · present · patient · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. lie — to recline
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. present — there
  10. cell — in biology
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. cell — a phone

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