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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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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: chip · season · safe · tear · kick · fall · chair · press

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. chip — to eat
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fall — to drop
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fall — the season
  10. tear — to rip
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. kick — in football
  16. season — in sport
  17. press — to push
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. tear — from crying
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. season — of the year
  24. chip — for betting

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