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

Word bank: nail · row · board · patient · rest · chip · kid · rule

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. row — to paddle
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. board — to get on
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. chip — for betting
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rule — a law
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rule — government
  17. row — a line
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. board — a committee
  24. 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