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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: bulb · wound · chip · bass · patient · lean · shower · wave

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bulb — for light
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. lean — thin
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bulb — for light
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — rain
  23. chip — to eat
  24. shower — to wash

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