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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: cabinet · rest · fine · chip · plane · cold · bank · stand

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bank — for money
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fine — all right
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. cold — not warm
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bank — for money
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rest — a break
  21. bank — of a river
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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