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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. press — to push
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. track — a song
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. hand — help
  9. deal — to handle
  10. press — newspapers
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. press — a publisher
  15. dip — to sink
  16. shower — rain
  17. track — a path
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — to wash
  21. track — to keep track
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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