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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bear — the animal
  6. clip — a video
  7. chip — to eat
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rest — what's left
  18. clip — for paper
  19. rest — a break
  20. clip — to cut
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. chip — for betting
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rest — what's left

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