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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: chip · rush · pop · cabinet · staff · face · stand · key

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. key — for a lock
  3. staff — employees
  4. face — to point toward
  5. key — the most important part
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pop — music
  8. rush — hurry
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. key — in music
  14. stand — to bear
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pop — soda
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. face — to confront
  21. staff — employees
  22. pop — to visit
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stand — for spectators

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