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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 120 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. kid — to tease
  3. press — a publisher
  4. lean — thin
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rush — hurry
  7. press — newspapers
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. press — to push
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. kid — child
  17. ball — a great time
  18. board — a committee
  19. lean — to bend
  20. squash — the sport
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. board — to get on
  24. ball — a dance

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