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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. press — a publisher
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. file — a document
  6. bank — of a river
  7. press — newspapers
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. file — a line of people
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. snap — to click
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. swing — music
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bank — for money
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. file — a tool
  19. pit — in a race
  20. squash — the sport
  21. press — to push
  22. bank — for money
  23. pit — a hole
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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