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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: nail · patient · chair · hide · mine · trunk · staff · march

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. staff — a stick
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. staff — employees
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mine — for digging
  14. chair — a leader
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. march — the month
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. march — the month
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. staff — employees
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. march — 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