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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: rash · patient · capital · chip · shower · wave · foot · calf

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rash — a series
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. capital — a city
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. capital — money
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rash — hasty
  21. shower — to wash
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. shower — rain

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