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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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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: mug · chip · row · patient · wave · branch · shower · board

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. row — to paddle
  5. branch — a division
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. board — to get on
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. shower — rain
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. row — a line
  12. mug — a face
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chip — to eat
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. board — a committee
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mug — to rob
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mug — a cup
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. chip — for betting

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