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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: firm · nail · patient · snap · pit · chest · deal · swing

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pit — in a race
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. deal — to handle
  9. swing — in golf
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. swing — music
  12. firm — steady
  13. chest — a box
  14. pit — a hole
  15. firm — a company
  16. swing — to play on
  17. firm — decided
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chest — of your body
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. snap — to click
  24. chest — of your body

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