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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 120 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
468
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 · coach · object · cell · rush · fall · pass · mine

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pass — a permit
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. chip — for betting
  14. object — to protest
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. cell — in biology
  18. fall — the season
  19. object — a thing
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. object — an aim
  23. cell — a phone
  24. chip — to eat

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