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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: chest · can · cabinet · ball · rest · hand · firm · chip

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. can — a tin
  6. firm — decided
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ball — a great time
  9. firm — steady
  10. can — to be able to
  11. ball — a dance
  12. hand — help
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chest — of your body
  15. can — a tin
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rest — a break
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chip — to eat
  21. hand — in cards
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. chest — a box
  24. firm — a company

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