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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. fall — the season
  3. content — the amount
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rash — a series
  6. band — a music group
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. press — to push
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. board — to get on
  13. band — a ring
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. lie — to recline
  16. press — newspapers
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rash — hasty
  21. chip — for betting
  22. board — a committee
  23. content — happy
  24. fall — to drop

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