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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: lean · face · rule · press · racket · chip · trunk · spring

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. press — newspapers
  3. face — to point toward
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chip — to eat
  9. lean — thin
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rule — a law
  12. spring — the season
  13. rule — government
  14. face — to confront
  15. press — to push
  16. chip — for betting
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. press — a publisher
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. spring — of water
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. lean — to bend

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