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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: chip · press · saw · current · cap · fork · lie · row

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. press — to push
  3. saw — the tool
  4. row — a line
  5. chip — for betting
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. press — newspapers
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. press — a publisher
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cap — of ice
  17. row — to paddle
  18. lie — to recline
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. saw — the tool
  24. current — electric

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