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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chest — of your body
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitch — completely
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. snap — to click
  16. chest — of your body
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. chip — to eat

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