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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: race · drill · chair · toast · patient · stick · lie · chip

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chip — to eat
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. chip — for betting
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. drill — the tool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. toast — bread
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. race — the arms race
  18. lie — to recline
  19. race — a contest
  20. drill — a practice
  21. chair — a leader
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. race — humankind
  24. drill — army training

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