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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
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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: press · lie · saw · snap · band · mouse · chip · hand

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. band — a ring
  4. chip — for betting
  5. band — a music group
  6. lie — to recline
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. hand — in cards
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to click
  13. chip — to eat
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — to push
  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