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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. firm — decided
  4. chip — for betting
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. press — a publisher
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bat — the animal
  14. chip — to eat
  15. firm — steady
  16. hand — help
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. hand — in cards
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. firm — a company

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