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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 120 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: chip · fan · can · cabinet · rest · mate · fall · ruler

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. can — a tin
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fall — to drop
  11. can — a tin
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mate — to breed
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mate — a friend

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