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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. chip — for betting
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. press — a publisher
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. press — newspapers
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. dip — to sink
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. press — to push
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. kick — in football
  22. chip — to eat
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wind — moving air

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