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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: ruler · staff · patient · last · toast · fork · chair · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. staff — employees
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fork — in a road
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. staff — a stick
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. last — to go on
  12. toast — bread
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. last — final
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. staff — employees
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. last — finally
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. chair — a leader
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. fork — to eat with

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