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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
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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: hand · swing · tube · chip · wake · cabinet · trunk · pound

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. swing — to play on
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. swing — in golf
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. tube — a container
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. tube — the underground
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pound — a weight
  18. swing — music
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. chip — for betting
  23. tube — in a tire
  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