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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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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: chip · spell · patient · lean · pass · stick · cue · trunk

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pass — a permit
  4. spell — letters
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. spell — magic
  14. cue — for pool
  15. chip — to eat
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. chip — for betting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lean — thin
  23. patient — a sick person
  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