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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.

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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chair · mate · mark · patient · sharp · lean · fall · spell

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. mark — a grade
  3. fall — to drop
  4. spell — magic
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mate — a partner
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mate — to breed
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a leader
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mate — a friend
  18. lean — thin
  19. mark — a trace
  20. lean — to bend
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. fall — the season
  23. sharp — exactly
  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