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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 116 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. suit — in cards
  3. cold — an illness
  4. squash — the sport
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bear — the animal
  10. key — for a lock
  11. charge — electricity
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cold — not warm
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. squash — to crush
  17. key — in music
  18. lean — thin
  19. charge — in control
  20. key — the most important part
  21. suit — to fit
  22. charge — a price
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. bear — the animal

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