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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. press — newspapers
  5. row — a line
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. chip — to eat
  8. scale — in music
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rest — what's left
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. row — to paddle
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. press — a publisher
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. rock — a stone
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chip — for betting
  24. rock — 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