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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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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: fall · chest · suit · press · chip · arm · date · present

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chest — a box
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. present — the time now
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. press — a publisher
  12. present — there
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fall — to drop
  15. suit — clothes
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. chest — of your body
  21. date — the fruit
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. present — a gift

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