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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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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: board · snap · chair · chip · pound · patient · lie · fall

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fall — to drop
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fall — the season
  12. board — a committee
  13. lie — to recline
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. snap — to click
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. fall — to drop
  21. board — to get on
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pound — a weight
  24. patient — a sick person

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