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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. kick — in football
  3. chip — for betting
  4. net — in sport
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. press — to push
  10. net — for catching
  11. lean — to bend
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. saw — the tool
  14. press — newspapers
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. press — a publisher
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. net — after costs
  21. board — to get on
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. chip — to eat

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