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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: chip · patient · chair · leaves · wind · snap · safe · rock

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. wind — moving air
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rock — a stone
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. snap — to click
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rock — music

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