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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: chip · press · chair · stem · bowl · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. stem — to come from
  8. press — to push
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. press — a publisher
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. press — newspapers

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