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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: row · press · craft · chip · stick · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. press — to push
  5. row — a line
  6. chip — to eat
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. craft — boats
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. craft — a skill
  13. press — a publisher
  14. row — to paddle
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. press — newspapers
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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