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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: safe · craft · snap · patient · game · ground · tear · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. ground — a position
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. tear — from crying
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ground — the earth
  10. game — a match
  11. craft — a skill
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tear — to rip
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. snap — to click
  17. game — wild animals
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. craft — boats
  20. tear — from crying
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. chip — to eat
  24. ground — crushed

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