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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. band — a music group
  9. bank — for money
  10. dip — to sink
  11. charge — a price
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. object — to protest
  15. charge — in control
  16. band — a ring
  17. object — a thing
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. charge — electricity
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. sharp — clever
  24. object — an aim

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