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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. cold — not warm
  3. firm — a company
  4. chip — for betting
  5. row — a line
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — an illness
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. firm — decided
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. craft — boats
  20. row — to paddle
  21. craft — a skill
  22. press — a publisher
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. firm — steady

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