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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.

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: trunk · field · patient · chair · can · cell · charge · last

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. field — a subject
  4. cell — in biology
  5. field — farmland
  6. can — a tin
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. last — finally
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. can — to be able to
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. charge — electricity
  13. last — to go on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. can — a tin
  16. field — for sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. charge — in control
  19. last — final
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. cell — a phone
  23. charge — a price
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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