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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: hide · degree · stock · patient · chip · leaves · lean · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. hand — help
  4. chip — for betting
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. degree — from a university
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lean — thin
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. degree — an amount
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. lean — to bend
  20. degree — temperature
  21. stock — goods
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stock — shares

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