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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: dip · shower · wound · cabinet · bank · press · chip · race

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. press — to push
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. race — humankind
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. press — newspapers
  11. dip — to sink
  12. press — a publisher
  13. wound — an injury
  14. chip — to eat
  15. race — the arms race
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. shower — to wash
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bank — for money
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. shower — rain
  24. race — a contest

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