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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 · patient · sharp · plane · roll · rock · staff · tube

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. staff — employees
  7. tube — a container
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. sharp — clever
  10. chip — for betting
  11. tube — the underground
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. staff — a stick
  14. plane — a tool
  15. roll — a cake
  16. rock — music
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rock — a stone
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. roll — a list
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. staff — employees

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