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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 116 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: mine · trunk · fine · stick · cabinet · chip · perch · hand

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. trunk — of an elephant
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. fine — high quality
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. hand — in cards
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mine — for digging
  15. hand — help
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. perch — the fish
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chip — in a computer
  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