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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.

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: rush · kid · tube · cabinet · fall · pop · capital · chip

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pop — music
  4. chip — to eat
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. fall — to drop
  8. capital — money
  9. pop — to visit
  10. kid — to tease
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fall — the season
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. chip — for betting
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fall — to drop
  21. capital — a city
  22. kid — child
  23. pop — soda
  24. tube — a container

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