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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: press · content · mine · hand · board · wind · wave · chip

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. board — to get on
  5. content — the amount
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. press — newspapers
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. press — to push
  10. hand — help
  11. board — a committee
  12. mine — for digging
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. chip — to eat
  15. press — a publisher
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. chip — for betting
  18. content — happy
  19. hand — in cards
  20. wind — moving air
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wind — to turn a key

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