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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: cell · press · last · wake · chip · scale

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. press — newspapers
  3. last — to go on
  4. press — a publisher
  5. wake — a trail
  6. press — to push
  7. last — final
  8. cell — in biology
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. last — finally
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wake — before a funeral

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