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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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468
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: rock · wind · chip · cabinet · tube · rush · can · bound

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rock — a stone
  4. can — to be able to
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rock — music
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. chip — to eat
  11. can — a tin
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. can — a tin
  16. bound — certain
  17. tube — a container
  18. rush — hurry
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bound — obliged
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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