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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. press — newspapers
  4. drill — a practice
  5. press — to push
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. drill — army training
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. wax — to grow
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. craft — a skill
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. chip — for betting
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. tear — to rip
  24. drill — the tool

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