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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. press — a publisher
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. press — to push
  8. spell — letters
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. staff — employees
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bass — low music
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rule — government
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bass — the fish
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — for digging
  20. spell — magic
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rule — a law
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rule — to rule out

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