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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: net · charge · chip · pitcher · wave · object · hide · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. net — in sport
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. object — a thing
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. object — an aim
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. net — after costs
  19. charge — in control
  20. net — for catching
  21. charge — a price
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chip — to eat
  24. object — to protest

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