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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: rash · straw · cell · stand · present · chip

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cell — a phone
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. chip — for betting
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. present — the time now
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. cell — in biology
  13. rash — a series
  14. stand — to bear
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. present — there
  18. present — a gift

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