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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: rock · bay · cabinet · lean · patient · dip · toast · chip

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. dip — to sink
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rock — music
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. lean — thin
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. chip — to eat
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. chip — for betting
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. toast — bread
  23. rock — a stone
  24. dip — a sauce

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