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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: game · rest · pass · stick · nail · chip · spring · fall

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pass — a permit
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spring — a coil
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fall — the season
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. spring — of water
  18. rest — a break
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spring — the season
  23. nail — on a finger
  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