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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: cap · patient · chest · present · fall · rock · staff · fine

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. staff — a stick
  3. present — a gift
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. present — there
  6. cap — of ice
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fine — all right
  11. present — the time now
  12. fall — the season
  13. fine — high quality
  14. staff — employees
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. rock — music
  18. cap — a hat
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. staff — employees
  22. chest — a box
  23. cap — a lid
  24. chest — of your body

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