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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 · hand · bore · foot · press · rest · chip · squash

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chip — to eat
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bore — to drill
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. squash — the sport
  9. press — newspapers
  10. chip — for betting
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. press — to push
  13. rest — what's left
  14. foot — a measure
  15. squash — to crush
  16. suit — clothes
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bore — to tire
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. hand — help
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rest — a break
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. hand — in cards

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