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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. hand — in cards
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. object — to protest
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. season — in sport
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. object — a thing
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. hand — help
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. object — an aim
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. plane — a tool
  21. chip — to eat
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. press — newspapers
  24. season — of the year

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