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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: press · snap · leaves · kick · chip · ruler · lash · present

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. snap — to click
  3. chip — for betting
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. present — a gift
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. present — the time now
  9. press — newspapers
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. press — a publisher
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. present — there
  17. chip — to eat
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. kick — in football
  22. press — to push
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. lash — to lash out

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