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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: land · root · press · chip · last · shower · deal · cold

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. press — newspapers
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. shower — rain
  6. deal — to handle
  7. press — to push
  8. chip — to eat
  9. last — finally
  10. root — the cause
  11. land — ground
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. chip — for betting
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. last — final
  16. shower — to wash
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. root — of a plant
  19. press — a publisher
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cold — an illness
  22. land — to come down
  23. last — to go on
  24. root — of a word

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