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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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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: degree · chair · patient · bay · rest · cabinet · nail · staff

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. chair — a leader
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rest — a break
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. staff — employees
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rest — what's left
  16. degree — temperature
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. degree — from a university
  19. rest — what's left
  20. degree — an amount
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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