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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: cell · present · cabinet · pass · chip · leaves · straw · kid

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. chip — to eat
  3. kid — to tease
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. present — the time now
  6. pass — a permit
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. cell — in biology
  9. present — a gift
  10. chip — for betting
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. present — there
  22. cell — a phone
  23. kid — child
  24. cabinet — ministers

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