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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: safe · chip · rule · press · date · rash · straw · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rule — government
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. date — the fruit
  7. rash — hasty
  8. chip — for betting
  9. press — a publisher
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wind — moving air
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. press — to push
  21. rule — a law
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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