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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. clip — a video
  3. lean — thin
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. press — newspapers
  6. mug — a face
  7. lean — to bend
  8. game — a match
  9. mug — a cup
  10. stock — shares
  11. press — a publisher
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. game — wild animals
  15. clip — to cut
  16. stock — goods
  17. clip — for paper
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bore — to tire
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bore — to drill
  24. press — to push

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