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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: chip · press · file · rule · bulb · staff · cell · foot

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. press — to push
  3. rule — government
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cell — in biology
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. chip — to eat
  8. file — a line of people
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. chip — for betting
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. staff — a stick
  14. press — a publisher
  15. staff — employees
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rule — a law
  18. press — newspapers
  19. staff — employees
  20. file — a tool
  21. bulb — for light
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. file — a document
  24. foot — a measure

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