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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: cell · pop · rest · hand · saw · cabinet · rash · chip

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. hand — in cards
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hand — help
  12. pop — soda
  13. chip — to eat
  14. rest — a break
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. cell — a phone
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rash — a series
  20. pop — music
  21. cell — in biology
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pop — to visit
  24. chip — for betting

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