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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cell — in biology
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. cell — a phone
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. last — to go on
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wound — an injury
  15. last — final
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. last — finally
  24. trunk — of a car

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