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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 120 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: hide · rest · chair · tube · chip · press

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chair — a leader
  6. press — a publisher
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. press — to push
  12. rest — a break
  13. chip — for betting
  14. tube — a container
  15. chip — to eat
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rest — what's left

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