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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. press — to push
  3. face — to point toward
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bank — of a river
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. press — newspapers
  10. chip — for betting
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bank — for money
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. bank — for money
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. chip — to eat
  22. press — a publisher
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lash — an eyelash

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