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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 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bound — tied together
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. chip — for betting
  7. file — a document
  8. snap — to click
  9. club — for dancing
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. file — a tool
  12. bound — certain
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. press — to push
  15. chip — to eat
  16. club — a group
  17. press — a publisher
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bound — obliged
  23. press — newspapers
  24. club — for golf

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