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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. chip — to eat
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rush — hurry
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. chip — for betting
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. suit — to fit
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wake — a trail
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. suit — clothes
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. tube — a container

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