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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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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: bay · press · cell · chip · bowl · wound

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. press — to push
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. chip — for betting
  16. cell — a phone
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury

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