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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. key — in music
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. snap — to click
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. chair — a leader
  13. press — a publisher
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. mug — a cup
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mug — to rob
  18. squash — to crush
  19. plane — a tool
  20. key — for a lock
  21. press — to push
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mug — a face
  24. press — newspapers

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