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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 120 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fork — in a road
  4. plane — a tool
  5. spell — magic
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cold — an illness
  8. press — a publisher
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. spell — letters
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. chip — to eat
  18. foot — a measure
  19. rush — hurry
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. cold — not warm

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