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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 116 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: tube · lash · chip · rash · pit · cabinet · fall · board

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. chip — for betting
  6. tube — the underground
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. pit — in a race
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. fall — the season
  13. board — to get on
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fall — to drop
  18. board — a committee
  19. pit — a hole
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chip — to eat
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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