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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 · rush · fall · face · roll · rest · bore · straw

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. roll — a list
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bore — to tire
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rest — what's left
  12. roll — a cake
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rest — what's left
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. face — to confront
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rest — a break
  23. fall — the season
  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