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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.

Words on the sheet
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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. fall — the season
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. field — for sport
  8. season — in sport
  9. field — a subject
  10. squash — to crush
  11. key — the most important part
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. key — for a lock
  14. fall — to drop
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. season — of the year
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bass — the fish
  20. fall — to drop
  21. field — farmland
  22. bass — low music
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. key — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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