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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · chip · hide · press · deal · file

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. chip — for betting
  3. press — newspapers
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. press — a publisher
  9. file — a tool
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a document
  13. press — to push
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. chip — to eat
  18. hide — to keep secret

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