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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 · key · patient · face · stand · straw · ground · craft

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ground — a position
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. ground — the earth
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. craft — boats
  12. face — part of the head
  13. chip — for betting
  14. face — to point toward
  15. key — in music
  16. craft — a skill
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. key — the most important part
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. stand — to bear
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. face — to confront
  23. ground — crushed
  24. chip — to eat

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