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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. tube — the underground
  8. branch — a division
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. game — wild animals
  22. chip — to eat
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. chip — for betting

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