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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: chest · last · cue · firm · chip · present · tube · fall

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. fall — to drop
  3. tube — a container
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. cue — a signal
  6. firm — steady
  7. present — there
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cue — for pool
  11. firm — a company
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fall — to drop
  14. firm — decided
  15. last — finally
  16. fall — the season
  17. chest — a box
  18. cue — a hint
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — final
  21. present — the time now
  22. chip — for betting
  23. present — a gift
  24. chest — of your body

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