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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.

Make a worksheet

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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. cell — in biology
  3. hand — in cards
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cell — a phone
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. press — a publisher
  9. suit — to fit
  10. press — to push
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. suit — in cards
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. suit — clothes
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. press — newspapers
  17. hand — help
  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