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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: firm · spring · dip · chip · pitcher · wind · press · can

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wind — moving air
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wind — moving air
  9. can — a tin
  10. firm — a company
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. can — a tin
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. press — newspapers
  19. chip — to eat
  20. firm — decided
  21. spring — a coil
  22. press — to push
  23. firm — steady
  24. chip — for betting

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