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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 120 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: press · kid · wound · chip · wax · net · safe · present

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. press — newspapers
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. net — after costs
  9. present — the time now
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. press — to push
  12. kid — to tease
  13. present — there
  14. kid — child
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wound — an injury
  17. net — in sport
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wax — to grow
  20. present — a gift
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. net — for catching
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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