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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: game · chip · rash · pass · patient · wax · squash · arm

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. rash — hasty
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. game — a match
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rash — a series
  10. chip — to eat
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. patient — a sick person

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