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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 120 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: chip · bass · patient · charge · pass · chest · wave · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pass — a permit
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. charge — a price
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. charge — electricity
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. chest — of your body
  12. charge — in control
  13. chip — for betting
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. chest — a box
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bass — low music

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