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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 124 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. current — of water
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. chip — for betting
  10. band — a ring
  11. season — in sport
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. press — a publisher
  15. season — of the year
  16. band — a music group
  17. face — part of the head
  18. press — to push
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. press — newspapers
  21. current — happening now
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mate — a friend
  24. current — electric

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