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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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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: hand · chair · trunk · ruler · face · bore · toast · patient

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. toast — bread
  7. face — to point toward
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. face — to confront
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bore — to drill
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bore — to tire

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