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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. wind — moving air
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. chip — to eat
  6. hand — in cards
  7. wind — moving air
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. hand — help
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. board — a committee
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. board — to get on
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. trunk — of a tree

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