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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: suit · toast · chip · press · kid · cell · date · spell

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. date — the fruit
  3. suit — to fit
  4. chip — to eat
  5. press — to push
  6. suit — in cards
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. cell — in biology
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. press — a publisher
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. kid — child
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. suit — clothes
  19. toast — bread
  20. spell — magic
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. kid — to tease
  23. press — newspapers
  24. cell — a phone

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