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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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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: pass · chip · fall · staff · wind · shower · bulb · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wind — moving air
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. staff — a stick
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fall — the season
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — a phone
  15. staff — employees
  16. shower — rain
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. staff — employees
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pass — a permit
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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