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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: chip · kick · mine · patient · rest · chair · safe · rush

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rest — what's left
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chip — to eat
  12. kick — in football
  13. chip — for betting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chair — a leader
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a professorship

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