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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. press — newspapers
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. press — to push
  7. chip — for betting
  8. kick — in football
  9. season — in sport
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. spell — magic
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. net — in sport
  15. lean — thin
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. press — a publisher
  18. chip — to eat
  19. net — after costs
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. net — for catching
  23. hand — help
  24. season — of the year

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