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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chip — to eat
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wind — moving air
  8. press — to push
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. press — a publisher
  20. roll — a cake
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wind — moving air
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. kick — in football

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