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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 · rush · fall · wave · season · pass · net · patient

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. chip — to eat
  5. net — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. net — for catching
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. season — of the year
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. season — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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