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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. cell — in biology
  3. season — of the year
  4. land — a country
  5. swing — music
  6. press — to push
  7. cell — a phone
  8. wake — a trail
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. swing — to play on
  12. suit — clothes
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. season — in sport
  16. suit — in cards
  17. press — a publisher
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. swing — in golf
  20. press — newspapers
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. season — to add flavour

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