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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. ground — crushed
  3. press — a publisher
  4. face — to point toward
  5. ground — the earth
  6. face — to confront
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. ground — a position
  9. season — in sport
  10. shower — rain
  11. press — to push
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. staff — employees
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. staff — a stick
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. press — newspapers
  19. season — of the year
  20. face — part of the head
  21. staff — employees
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. shower — to wash

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