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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: wake · bore · hand · foot · chair · sharp · ball · patient

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. chair — a leader
  7. sharp — clever
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. ball — a dance
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. hand — help
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. ball — a great time
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. patient — a sick person

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