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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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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: row · temple · chip · mark · fork · mine · patient · wave

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. row — to paddle
  3. chip — for betting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. row — a line
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. fork — in a road
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wave — of the sea

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