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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: chip · press · chest · ruler · mouse · net · face · clip

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. face — to confront
  4. press — newspapers
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. clip — a video
  7. net — after costs
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. chip — to eat
  10. face — to point toward
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. clip — to cut
  14. chest — of your body
  15. face — part of the head
  16. chest — a box
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — to push
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. clip — for paper
  23. chip — for betting
  24. mouse — the animal

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