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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pop — soda
  3. chip — to eat
  4. squash — to crush
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. press — newspapers
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mug — a face
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mug — a cup
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. mug — to rob
  17. press — a publisher
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. press — to push
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. squash — the sport
  24. pop — music

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