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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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468
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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. chip — for betting
  4. can — a tin
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. game — wild animals
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — to push
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. chip — to eat
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. snap — to click
  18. can — to be able to
  19. press — newspapers
  20. plane — a tool
  21. can — a tin
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. leaves — of a tree

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