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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: kick · press · toast · wind · fan · chip · clip · can

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. clip — to cut
  6. press — to push
  7. wind — moving air
  8. clip — a video
  9. toast — bread
  10. chip — to eat
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. press — a publisher
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. kick — in football
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. can — a tin
  20. clip — for paper
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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