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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
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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: leaves · patient · rush · bay · chair · chest · degree · foot

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. degree — from a university
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. foot — a measure
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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