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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 120 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: chip · patient · wound · present · clip · season · board · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chip — for betting
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. chip — to eat
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. present — there
  10. bound — obliged
  11. present — the time now
  12. season — in sport
  13. bound — certain
  14. clip — a video
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. present — a gift
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — to cut
  21. wound — an injury
  22. board — to get on
  23. season — of the year
  24. board — a committee

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