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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: rule · rash · tube · fall · cell · safe · chip · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rash — a series
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. cell — a phone
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fall — the season
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. fall — to drop
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — a law
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rash — hasty
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chip — to eat
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cell — in biology
  24. safe — a strongbox

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