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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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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: stick · hide · cold · chip · bulb · rock · bank · patient

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bank — for money
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bank — for money
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rock — music
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cold — an illness
  23. rock — a stone
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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