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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mug — to rob
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mug — a face
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ball — a dance
  9. press — newspapers
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. chip — for betting
  13. ball — a great time
  14. lean — to bend
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mug — a cup
  17. press — a publisher
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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