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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: bear · chip · cabinet · ground · tube · rush · face · cap

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. ground — the earth
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cap — a lid
  7. face — to confront
  8. cap — a hat
  9. ground — a position
  10. chip — for betting
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. chip — to eat
  14. tube — the underground
  15. cap — of ice
  16. ground — crushed
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. face — to point toward
  23. tube — a container
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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