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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: lie · present · bat · chip · charge · lean · degree · press

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. charge — in control
  3. press — a publisher
  4. present — the time now
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. lean — thin
  7. bat — the animal
  8. press — newspapers
  9. chip — for betting
  10. charge — a price
  11. degree — from a university
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. degree — an amount
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — there
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. degree — temperature
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. press — to push
  24. chip — to eat

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