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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: saw · clip · chest · patient · key · wave · staff · rule

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. saw — the tool
  3. chest — of your body
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. staff — employees
  6. chest — a box
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — a video
  9. key — in music
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rule — government
  14. key — the most important part
  15. clip — to cut
  16. saw — the tool
  17. staff — employees
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rule — a law
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. staff — a stick
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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