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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. squash — to crush
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. press — a publisher
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mark — a trace
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. press — to push
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. squash — the sport

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