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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: leaves · row · chip · face · rock · patient · chair · land

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chip — to eat
  6. row — a line
  7. rock — music
  8. row — to paddle
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. face — to point toward
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. land — ground
  17. face — part of the head
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. land — a country
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chip — for betting
  22. land — to come down
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. face — to confront

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