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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 · rest · chip · stick · foot · rock · suit · dip

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. suit — to fit
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. foot — a measure
  8. suit — clothes
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. suit — in cards
  13. chip — to eat
  14. press — newspapers
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. chip — for betting
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. press — to push
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rock — music
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rest — a break
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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