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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · lie · swing · deal · patient · net · press · chip

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. deal — to handle
  3. swing — music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. chip — to eat
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. can — a tin
  9. swing — to play on
  10. press — to push
  11. swing — in golf
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. can — to be able to
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. net — after costs
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. net — in sport
  24. can — a tin

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