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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: stand · chip · kid · rush · bass · ruler · fall · mate

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fall — to drop
  3. kid — to tease
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mate — to breed
  7. kid — child
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mate — a friend
  10. stand — to bear
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bass — the fish
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. mate — a partner
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bass — low music

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