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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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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — to push
  3. spring — of water
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. ground — a position
  6. squash — to crush
  7. spring — the season
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rule — a law
  11. ground — the earth
  12. spring — a coil
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. rule — government

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