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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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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: cap · cabinet · chip · plane · prune · bay · kick · press

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. press — a publisher
  6. plane — a tool
  7. kick — in football
  8. cap — a hat
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. cap — a lid
  11. press — newspapers
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. chip — for betting
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chip — to eat
  18. press — to push
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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