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

Word bank: wake · file · chip · trunk · pound · swing · staff · mark

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mark — a trace
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. mark — a grade
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. staff — employees
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. chip — to eat
  19. file — a line of people
  20. swing — in golf
  21. staff — employees
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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