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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · dip · kick · squash · press · chip · march · charge

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. press — a publisher
  5. season — of the year
  6. squash — the sport
  7. charge — in control
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. squash — to crush
  10. march — the month
  11. chip — for betting
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. press — to push
  18. chip — to eat
  19. season — in sport
  20. kick — in football
  21. press — newspapers
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. dip — to sink
  24. squash — the vegetable

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