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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: fine · march · chair · rule · patient · lean

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lean — thin
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. fine — high quality
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. march — the month
  13. chair — a leader
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. march — the month
  17. fine — all right
  18. lean — to rest against

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