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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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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chip — to eat
  4. clip — to cut
  5. board — to get on
  6. chip — for betting
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. dip — to sink
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. vault — a safe
  23. board — a committee
  24. chip — in a computer

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