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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. chip — to eat
  11. hand — help
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bass — the fish
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bass — low music
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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