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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. hand — help
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. fall — to drop
  9. tube — a container
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. fork — in a road
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fall — to drop
  20. hand — in cards
  21. tube — the underground
  22. can — a tin
  23. chip — for betting
  24. fall — the season

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