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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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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: rest · present · patient · fine · rush · hand · pop · chip

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pop — music
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pop — to visit
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rush — hurry
  9. present — there
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. fine — all right
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pop — soda
  15. hand — help
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. present — the time now
  19. rest — a break
  20. chip — for betting
  21. present — a gift
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. hand — in cards

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