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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fall · swing · key · chip · stand · spell · rash · roll

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. swing — music
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. key — for a lock
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rash — hasty
  8. roll — a cake
  9. spell — a short time
  10. swing — in golf
  11. fall — to drop
  12. spell — letters
  13. chip — for betting
  14. spell — magic
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. fall — the season
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. fall — to drop
  21. roll — a list
  22. rash — a series
  23. key — in music
  24. swing — to play 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