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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · mug · pitcher · chip · trunk · wave · fall · file

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. mug — a face
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. mug — a cup
  7. file — a document
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. mug — to rob
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. fine — high quality
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. fall — the season
  22. chip — for betting
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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