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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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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: row · lean · can · cold · ball · chip · rest · press

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. press — newspapers
  3. row — to paddle
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chip — for betting
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. ball — a great time
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. press — to push
  13. cold — an illness
  14. lean — thin
  15. can — a tin
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. can — a tin
  18. chip — to eat
  19. can — to be able to
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rest — a break
  22. row — a line
  23. press — a publisher
  24. cold — not warm

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