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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: press · degree · chip · last · object · swing · lean · charge

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — in control
  4. lean — to bend
  5. charge — electricity
  6. chip — for betting
  7. last — to go on
  8. degree — from a university
  9. object — a thing
  10. press — to push
  11. chip — to eat
  12. last — finally
  13. object — to protest
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. press — a publisher
  16. last — final
  17. degree — an amount
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. degree — temperature
  21. press — newspapers
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — thin
  24. swing — in golf

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