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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · nail · charge · chip · rash · wave · patient · cell

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mug — a cup
  5. charge — in control
  6. mug — a face
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. chip — for betting
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cell — a phone
  13. charge — a price
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mug — to rob
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rash — a series
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. nail — for a hammer

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