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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.

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: band · chair · rash · branch · patient · cue · cap · suit

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cue — a signal
  7. branch — a division
  8. band — a ring
  9. rash — hasty
  10. band — a music group
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cap — a lid
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. cue — a hint
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. suit — clothes
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. suit — in cards
  21. chair — a leader
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. rash — a series
  24. branch — of a tree

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