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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chip — to eat
  8. mark — a trace
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fall — to drop
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fall — the season
  15. sharp — clever
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. chip — for betting
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. chest — of your body
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mark — a grade
  22. chest — of your body
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. chest — a box

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