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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 116 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: cell · patient · present · chip · spell · wave · pound · clip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. spell — a short time
  3. cell — in biology
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. present — the time now
  7. cell — a phone
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. spell — letters
  11. present — there
  12. spell — magic
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pound — a weight
  16. clip — to cut
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. clip — for paper
  22. chip — to eat
  23. clip — a video
  24. present — a gift

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