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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — child
  4. press — newspapers
  5. clip — for paper
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. press — a publisher
  10. chip — to eat
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. capital — a city
  17. clip — a video
  18. wake — a trail
  19. clip — to cut
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. craft — boats

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