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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: chip · trunk · squash · can · patient · sharp · present · bound

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bound — tied together
  3. present — the time now
  4. chip — to eat
  5. present — there
  6. squash — to crush
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. present — a gift
  9. bound — obliged
  10. can — a tin
  11. chip — for betting
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. can — a tin
  17. squash — the sport
  18. sharp — clever
  19. can — to be able to
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bound — certain
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. sharp — exactly

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