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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · key · leaves · trunk · safe · cue · sharp · chip

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. chip — for betting
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. sharp — clever
  10. key — in music
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. key — for a lock
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cue — a hint
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. key — the most important part
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cue — for pool

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