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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 · mate · deal · press · ground · craft · cold · hide

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. craft — boats
  3. ground — crushed
  4. chip — for betting
  5. press — a publisher
  6. deal — to handle
  7. chip — to eat
  8. press — to push
  9. cold — an illness
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mate — to breed
  12. press — newspapers
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cold — not warm
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. ground — a position
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mate — a partner
  24. deal — an agreement

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