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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: wave · chip · current · sharp · bay · cold · leaves · press

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. press — to push
  9. cold — an illness
  10. chip — for betting
  11. press — a publisher
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. sharp — clever
  15. chip — to eat
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cold — not warm
  24. press — newspapers

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