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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — a leader
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. press — newspapers
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. spring — a coil
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. press — a publisher
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. spring — of water
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. spring — the season
  24. press — to push

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