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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. dip — to dunk
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. squash — to crush
  4. charge — a price
  5. current — of water
  6. season — of the year
  7. charge — in control
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. saw — the tool
  11. current — happening now
  12. foot — a measure
  13. charge — electricity
  14. press — a publisher
  15. season — in sport
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. dip — to sink
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. current — electric
  20. squash — the sport
  21. press — to push
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. saw — the tool
  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