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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 116 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bank — for money
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. hand — in cards
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. tear — from crying
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bank — for money
  14. present — a gift
  15. hand — help
  16. tear — to rip
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bank — of a river
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. tear — from crying
  21. present — there
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. present — the time now

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