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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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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: capital · lie · chest · patient · chip · current · bore · lash

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. current — happening now
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. chest — of your body
  10. lie — to recline
  11. current — of water
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. current — electric
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. capital — a city
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. capital — money
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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