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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. prune — to trim
  8. chip — for betting
  9. prune — to trim
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. plane — a tool
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. chip — to eat
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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