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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 120 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. press — a publisher
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. key — the most important part
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. shower — to wash
  9. press — to push
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. shower — rain
  12. press — newspapers
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. key — in music
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. key — for a lock

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