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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. press — a publisher
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. chip — for betting
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. roll — a cake
  8. rest — a break
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rest — what's left
  11. press — to push
  12. bound — certain
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. press — newspapers
  19. roll — a list
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bound — obliged
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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