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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
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: rest · sharp · bay · hand · track · present · chair · patient

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. present — a gift
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. present — the time now
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rest — what's left
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. present — there
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. track — a song
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. rest — what's left
  20. track — to keep track
  21. hand — help
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rest — a break

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