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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. hand — help
  7. fine — all right
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. chip — for betting
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. kick — in football
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hand — in cards
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. kick — a thrill

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