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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: bore · chip · arm · wake · staff · swing · hide · patient

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. staff — employees
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bore — to drill
  10. chip — for betting
  11. staff — a stick
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bore — to tire
  16. swing — in golf
  17. staff — employees
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. swing — music
  24. wake — a trail

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