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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 116 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: pass · fall · tube · saw · chip · charge · fork · staff

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. staff — employees
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. fork — in a road
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. saw — the tool
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. charge — electricity
  11. saw — the tool
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pass — a permit
  20. staff — employees
  21. charge — a price
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. charge — in control

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