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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 120 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: row · fine · hand · bound · chip · rest · cabinet · pass

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bound — obliged
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rest — a break
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fine — high quality
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bound — tied together
  15. fine — all right
  16. row — a line
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hand — in cards
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pass — a permit
  21. hand — help
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bound — certain
  24. row — to paddle

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