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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: press · wave · chip · racket · last · lean · rash · saw

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. last — finally
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rash — hasty
  5. last — to go on
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. press — to push
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lean — to bend
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. last — final
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rash — a series

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