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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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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rock — music
  3. chip — for betting
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. spell — letters
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rash — hasty
  18. spell — magic
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. spell — a short time
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. rash — a series
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. branch — a division

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