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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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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: wave · snap · wound · patient · band · chip · mine · bore

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. band — a music group
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. band — a ring
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. chip — for betting
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. chip — to eat
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to click
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bore — to drill

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