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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: key · suit · trunk · date · cue · chip · wound · lash

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. key — in music
  3. chip — to eat
  4. cue — a hint
  5. key — the most important part
  6. suit — clothes
  7. key — for a lock
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. chip — for betting
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. suit — to fit
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. cue — a signal
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wound — an injury

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