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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
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: hide · chip · patient · stick · fan · trunk · fall · rush

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rush — hurry
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chip — to eat
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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