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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: mark · cabinet · game · lash · bank · prune · chip · pass

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mark — a grade
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bank — for money
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mark — a trace
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bank — for money
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. game — a match
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bank — of a river

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