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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bass — the fish
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. press — newspapers
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. press — to push
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — low music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. press — a publisher

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