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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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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: bank · deal · chip · bass · rest · fan · present · fall

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. 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. fan — to cool the air
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bank — for money
  4. fall — to drop
  5. deal — to handle
  6. present — there
  7. bank — for money
  8. present — the time now
  9. fall — the season
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bass — low music
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rest — what's left
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bass — the fish
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. 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