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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 116 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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. press — a publisher
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. tear — to rip
  6. chip — for betting
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bound — tied together
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rest — what's left
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. rest — what's left
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rest — a break
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. prune — to trim
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to click

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