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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
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: key · saw · fan · wake · mine · chip · tube · rash

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wake — a trail
  3. chip — for betting
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. tube — the underground
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. chip — to eat
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. key — in music
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. tube — a container
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rash — a series
  22. mine — for digging
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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