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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: face · rock · chair · patient · cap · rush · fall · toast

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cap — of ice
  5. chair — a leader
  6. rock — a stone
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cap — a hat
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. face — part of the head
  14. toast — bread
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. face — to confront
  18. fall — to drop
  19. face — to point toward
  20. cap — a lid
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. fall — the season
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. rock — music

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