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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 · chip · dip · ruler · rash · mine · fine · pass

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. chip — to eat
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. fine — high quality
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fine — all right
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. chip — for betting
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. mine — for digging
  24. dip — to sink

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