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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: roll · rush · chip · bore · swing · pop · rest · fan

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. chip — to eat
  6. swing — music
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. swing — in golf
  13. roll — a list
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pop — music
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rest — a break
  24. pop — soda

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