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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. field — a subject
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. field — for sport
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. press — a publisher
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chip — for betting
  12. season — in sport
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. lie — to recline
  15. chair — a leader
  16. kick — in football
  17. press — newspapers
  18. season — of the year
  19. press — to push
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. field — farmland
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pass — a permit

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