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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: calf · fan · lash · patient · ground · land · chip · wind

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. chip — to eat
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. land — a country
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chip — for betting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. ground — a position
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. land — to come down
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. land — ground
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. fan — a supporter

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