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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: wind · suit · stand · temple · chip · bass · rush · chest

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. suit — clothes
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stand — to bear
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bass — the fish
  13. chip — to eat
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bass — low music
  22. chest — of your body
  23. suit — to fit
  24. chest — a box

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