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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · temple · press · hand · stick · sharp · spring · squash

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. chip — to eat
  3. spring — of water
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. press — a publisher
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. hand — help
  9. sharp — clever
  10. chip — for betting
  11. spring — a coil
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. squash — to crush
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. press — to push
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. spring — the season
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. press — newspapers
  23. hand — in cards
  24. chip — in a computer

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