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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wave · mug · board · rash · chip · chest · patient

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mug — a face
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mug — a cup
  8. rash — hasty
  9. board — a committee
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rash — a series
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bore — to drill
  18. chest — of your body
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chest — a box
  23. mug — to rob
  24. patient — a sick person

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