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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: rush · kick · deal · stand · rest · band · leaves · chip

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rest — what's left
  5. deal — to handle
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. chip — for betting
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. chip — to eat
  13. band — a ring
  14. stand — to bear
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rest — a break
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. band — a music group
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — in football

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