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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: nail · wake · saw · plane · patient · game · chair · chip

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. game — wild animals
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. saw — the tool
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. wake — a trail
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. game — a match
  24. chair — a leader

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