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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. roll — a list
  6. net — after costs
  7. stem — to come from
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. swing — in golf
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. squash — to crush
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. roll — a cake
  16. net — for catching
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. squash — the sport
  19. face — part of the head
  20. press — a publisher
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. press — newspapers
  24. net — in 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