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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
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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: fall · trunk · plane · saw · chip · squash · tube · bore

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. chip — to eat
  3. tube — a container
  4. fall — to drop
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bore — to tire
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fall — the season
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. tube — the underground
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bore — to drill
  19. chip — for betting
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. plane — a tool
  24. squash — the sport

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