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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: cold · wake · fine · press · dip · chip · rush · branch

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. cold — not warm
  4. press — to push
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rush — hurry
  12. fine — high quality
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. press — a publisher
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fine — all right
  21. dip — to sink
  22. branch — a division
  23. cold — an illness
  24. wake — a trail

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