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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. chip — for betting
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. spring — a coil
  5. press — a publisher
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. firm — steady
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. press — to push
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. spring — the season
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. dip — to sink
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. spring — of water
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. press — newspapers
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. firm — decided

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