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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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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: chip · press · ruler · wave · cap · bank · mouse · mate

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mate — a partner
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bank — for money
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. press — a publisher
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bank — for money
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cap — of ice
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. chip — for betting
  24. mouse — the animal

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