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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: rush · wind · firm · stem · season · chip · charge · fall

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. season — of the year
  3. chip — for betting
  4. firm — steady
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. firm — decided
  8. stem — to come from
  9. firm — a company
  10. charge — a price
  11. fall — the season
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. charge — in control
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. fall — to drop
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rush — hurry
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fall — to drop

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