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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.

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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: suit · rock · wound · press · face · pit · row · chip

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. press — to push
  4. pit — in a race
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wound — an injury
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pit — a hole
  9. suit — clothes
  10. row — a line
  11. suit — in cards
  12. rock — music
  13. press — a publisher
  14. face — to point toward
  15. suit — to fit
  16. chip — to eat
  17. face — to confront
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. face — part of the head
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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