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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: foot · press · present · leaves · chip · rock · wound · cell

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. present — a gift
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wound — an injury
  11. press — to push
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — a phone
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. chip — for betting
  18. present — the time now
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. present — there
  21. press — newspapers
  22. wound — an injury
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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