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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: press · bay · chip · charge · swing · rest · branch · file

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. rest — what's left
  4. charge — electricity
  5. chip — for betting
  6. swing — in golf
  7. charge — in control
  8. press — to push
  9. file — a document
  10. chip — to eat
  11. file — a tool
  12. swing — music
  13. charge — a price
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. press — a publisher
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rest — what's left
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. branch — a division
  23. press — newspapers
  24. chip — in a computer

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