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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bank — for money
  3. press — newspapers
  4. key — in music
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stem — to come from
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bank — of a river
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. press — to push
  16. key — for a lock
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. lean — thin
  20. bank — for money
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. key — the most important part
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lean — to bend

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