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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 120 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: wind · nail · press · fine · cap · bear · chip · row

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. press — a publisher
  3. cap — a lid
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. cap — a hat
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — to paddle
  9. press — to push
  10. row — a line
  11. fine — all right
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. fine — high quality
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bear — the animal

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