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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. dip — to sink
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. charge — a price
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wound — an injury
  19. date — the fruit
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. charge — in control
  24. chip — for betting

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