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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
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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: wound · lie · cold · chip · cabinet · jam · tube · staff

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wound — an injury
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. staff — employees
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. staff — employees
  14. cold — not warm
  15. tube — a container
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. cold — an illness
  18. staff — a stick
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lie — to recline

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