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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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. file — a document
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. drill — army training
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. file — a tool
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. press — newspapers
  19. cap — a hat
  20. press — to push
  21. file — a line of people
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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