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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spell — magic
  5. cue — a signal
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. cue — for pool
  9. spell — letters
  10. squash — the sport
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. squash — to crush
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. press — newspapers
  17. spell — a short time
  18. board — a committee
  19. cue — a hint
  20. prune — to trim
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. foot — a measure
  24. lie — to recline

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