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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: wind · tube · key · fan · pass · chip · lean · game

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. lean — to bend
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. lean — thin
  14. tube — a container
  15. game — wild animals
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. game — a match
  19. wind — moving air
  20. key — in music
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. key — the most important part
  23. wind — moving air
  24. key — for a lock

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