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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: key · patient · calf · stick · saw · dip · chair · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. dip — to sink
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. present — the time now
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. key — for a lock
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. key — in music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. key — the most important part
  24. present — a gift

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