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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chip · wave · bass · date · patient · band · saw · mine

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. saw — the tool
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. date — the fruit
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. band — a ring
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. chip — to eat
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bass — low music
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. chip — for betting
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bass — the instrument

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