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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pit — a hole
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spell — letters
  7. wound — an injury
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. charge — in control
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. chip — for betting
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. hand — help
  17. object — a thing
  18. chip — to eat
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — an aim
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. spell — magic

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