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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: snap · chip · press · toast · mug · kick · drill · shower

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. drill — a practice
  3. chip — for betting
  4. press — to push
  5. drill — army training
  6. kick — in football
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mug — a face
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. snap — to click
  13. mug — to rob
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. press — newspapers
  17. shower — rain
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. shower — to wash
  20. press — a publisher
  21. toast — bread
  22. drill — the tool
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. chip — to eat

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