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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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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. chip — for betting
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. file — a tool
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a document
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. chip — to eat
  22. saw — the tool
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mine — an explosive

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