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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: wave · squash · wound · chip · patient · plane · coach · bowl

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. squash — to crush
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wound — an injury
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. plane — a tool
  24. squash — the sport

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