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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bear — the animal
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mate — to breed
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mug — a face
  14. mate — a friend
  15. press — to push
  16. bass — low music
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bass — the fish

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