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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. current — of water
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. hand — in cards
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. press — to push
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. press — newspapers
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stem — to come from
  21. current — electric
  22. press — a publisher
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. current — happening now

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