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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: patient · lean · content · pass · pit · chip · tear · mine

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. chip — to eat
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. content — happy
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. content — the amount
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. tear — from crying
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pit — in a race
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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