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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking 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. patient — a sick person
  2. land — to come down
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. chip — to eat
  6. firm — decided
  7. suit — clothes
  8. land — ground
  9. content — happy
  10. land — a country
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. suit — to fit
  14. firm — steady
  15. suit — in cards
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. chip — for betting
  18. firm — a company
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  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