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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: chip · fall · jam · tube · season · rush · last · stand

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. stand — to bear
  3. fall — to drop
  4. tube — the underground
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. last — finally
  7. rush — hurry
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fall — the season
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fall — to drop
  17. tube — a container
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. chip — for betting
  21. last — final
  22. season — in sport
  23. chip — to eat
  24. last — to go on

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