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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
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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: wound · hide · patient · bulb · chip · cue · charge · march

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. charge — in control
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — a signal
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bulb — for light
  11. charge — a price
  12. march — music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cue — for pool
  17. march — the month
  18. charge — electricity
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. chip — for betting
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. march — the month

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