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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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Word bank
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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. snap — to click
  3. craft — boats
  4. chip — for betting
  5. key — for a lock
  6. press — to push
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. craft — a skill
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. hand — help
  11. key — in music
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. hand — in cards
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. vault — a safe
  17. tear — to rip
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. tear — from crying
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. tear — from crying
  22. chip — to eat
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. key — the most important part

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