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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. ground — the earth
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. ground — a position
  9. plane — a tool
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bank — of a river
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. lean — to bend
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. rash — a series
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — thin
  24. plane — in geometry

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