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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. cold — not warm
  3. press — newspapers
  4. squash — to crush
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. cold — an illness
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. season — in sport
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bore — to drill

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