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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: roll · rest · track · row · cabinet · spring · lie · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. row — to paddle
  4. roll — a list
  5. track — a path
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. track — to keep track
  8. chip — to eat
  9. spring — the season
  10. row — a line
  11. spring — of water
  12. track — a song
  13. rest — what's left
  14. roll — a cake
  15. spring — a coil
  16. chip — for betting
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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