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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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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. drill — army training
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. press — newspapers
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. drill — the tool
  13. chip — to eat
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mug — to rob
  19. drill — a practice
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — a cup
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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