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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. press — to push
  2. wax — to grow
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. squash — the sport
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. squash — to crush
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chip — to eat
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lie — to recline
  21. can — a tin
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. object — a thing
  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