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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: chip · mug · lean · game · fall · fan · net · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. net — for catching
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mug — to rob
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. net — in sport
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lean — thin
  13. fall — the season
  14. game — wild animals
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fall — to drop
  17. game — a match
  18. mug — a face
  19. net — after costs
  20. mug — a cup
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lean — to bend

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