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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. kick — in football
  4. toast — bread
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. press — to push
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. saw — the tool
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. charge — a price
  14. press — newspapers
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. charge — electricity
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. squash — to crush
  20. press — a publisher
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. charge — in control
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fan — a supporter

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