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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: chest · chip · key · roll · press · wave · pound · object

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. press — newspapers
  7. roll — a list
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. object — to protest
  10. roll — a cake
  11. press — a publisher
  12. object — a thing
  13. pound — a weight
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. key — for a lock
  17. press — to push
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. object — an aim
  23. key — in music
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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