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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. content — the amount
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. chip — for betting
  11. tube — the underground
  12. rush — hurry
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. content — happy
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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