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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. swing — in golf
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. swing — music
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. prune — to trim
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. hand — in cards
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. hand — help
  16. shower — to wash
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. shower — rain
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wind — moving air
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wind — moving air

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