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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · current · chip · rule · swing · cap · spell · fall

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. chip — to eat
  3. current — happening now
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. cap — a hat
  6. current — of water
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cap — of ice
  10. spell — magic
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. swing — in golf
  13. press — a publisher
  14. cap — a lid
  15. spell — a short time
  16. fall — the season
  17. press — to push
  18. swing — music
  19. press — newspapers
  20. fall — to drop
  21. current — electric
  22. rule — a law
  23. swing — to play on
  24. spell — letters

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