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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bark — to shout
  8. squash — the sport
  9. object — to protest
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mate — to breed
  12. object — an aim
  13. mark — a grade
  14. object — a thing
  15. mark — a trace
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mate — a partner
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. press — to push
  23. mate — a friend
  24. cue — for pool

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