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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. cell — a phone
  3. chip — to eat
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bank — of a river
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. squash — to crush
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. squash — the sport
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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