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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: press · last · lean · chip · cap · plane · kid · bass

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. kid — child
  5. last — to go on
  6. lean — to bend
  7. kid — to tease
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. press — newspapers
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cap — a hat
  14. last — final
  15. bass — the fish
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. cap — a lid
  19. press — to push
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. last — finally
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bass — low music
  24. plane — an aircraft

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