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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: wound · game · trunk · leaves · present · stand · race · chip

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. game — a match
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. race — the arms race
  7. present — there
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wound — an injury
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stand — to bear
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. present — the time now
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. chip — for betting
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. game — wild animals
  20. present — a gift
  21. race — a contest
  22. wound — an injury
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. chip — to eat

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