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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: fine · rest · calf · patient · date · foot · bound · chair

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bound — certain
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rest — what's left
  6. date — the fruit
  7. rest — a break
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bound — tied together
  13. chair — a leader
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. foot — a measure
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bound — obliged
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fine — high quality

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