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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: staff · rush · chip · present · mate · drill · press · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. present — the time now
  3. press — to push
  4. present — a gift
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. staff — employees
  7. chip — for betting
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mate — a partner
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. mate — to breed
  13. staff — employees
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. press — a publisher
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mate — a friend
  20. chip — to eat
  21. staff — a stick
  22. press — newspapers
  23. present — there
  24. drill — army training

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