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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: fan · bank · chip · wind · patient · hand · mark · net

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bank — for money
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bank — of a river
  10. net — after costs
  11. mark — a trace
  12. net — in sport
  13. bank — for money
  14. mark — a grade
  15. hand — help
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wind — moving air
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. net — for catching
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. chip — to eat

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