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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: rash · chip · jam · rest · game · bank · saw · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. game — a match
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fall — the season
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bank — for money
  9. saw — the tool
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. rash — a series
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bank — of a river
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. bank — for money
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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