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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. press — to push
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bass — low music
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. press — newspapers
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. charge — electricity
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bass — the fish
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. charge — in control
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. charge — a price
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

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