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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fan · game · straw · chip · ruler · face · pit · press

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pit — a hole
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. face — to point toward
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pit — in a race
  7. face — to confront
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. press — newspapers
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. game — wild animals
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. chip — for betting
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. chip — to eat
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — to push
  24. fan — a supporter

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