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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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Word bank
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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: lean · patient · kid · board · degree · dip · clip · firm

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. board — to get on
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. degree — temperature
  5. kid — child
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — steady
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. clip — a video
  11. degree — from a university
  12. kid — to tease
  13. dip — to sink
  14. lean — to bend
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. clip — for paper
  17. degree — an amount
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. clip — to cut
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. lean — thin
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. firm — a company
  24. board — a committee

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