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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. press — a publisher
  5. rule — government
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. scale — size or range
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. scale — in music
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. branch — a division
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. chip — for betting
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rule — a law
  20. cap — of ice
  21. press — newspapers
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. snap — to click

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