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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: shower · swing · chip · press · bank · patient

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. shower — to wash
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. shower — rain
  6. bank — for money
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. swing — music
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. swing — to play on
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bank — of a river
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bank — for money
  16. press — to push
  17. swing — in golf
  18. chip — for betting

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