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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 120 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: deal · mine · hand · chip · patient · safe · rest · fork

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rest — a break
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rest — what's left
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — to handle
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. rest — what's left
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fork — to eat with

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