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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: cell · chip · jam · shower · lash · bore · rash · patient

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cell — a phone
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. shower — to wash
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — in biology
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bore — to tire
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rash — a series
  20. bore — to drill
  21. shower — rain
  22. rash — hasty
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. chip — to eat

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