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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. chip — for betting
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. degree — an amount
  6. fall — to drop
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cue — a signal
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mine — for digging
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fall — the season
  15. bank — for money
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. degree — temperature
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cue — a hint
  21. fall — to drop
  22. chip — to eat
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bank — for money

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