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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 · cabinet · snap · hand · racket · bound · fall · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bound — obliged
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. fall — the season
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bound — certain
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fall — to drop
  15. snap — to click
  16. fall — to drop
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bound — tied together
  19. hand — in cards
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. chip — for betting
  23. hand — help
  24. racket — for tennis

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