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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: content · arm · shower · wake · row · press · rock · chip

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. press — to push
  3. content — the amount
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rock — music
  6. content — happy
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. press — newspapers
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. shower — rain
  13. row — to paddle
  14. chip — for betting
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. press — a publisher
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. chip — to eat
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. shower — to wash

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