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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 · swing · hide · cap · dip

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cap — a hat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. press — newspapers
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. swing — in golf
  8. chip — to eat
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — to push
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. chip — for betting
  15. cap — a lid
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cap — of ice

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