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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bound — certain
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bound — tied together
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bound — obliged
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rock — a stone
  15. swing — to play on
  16. stock — goods
  17. rock — music
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. press — to push
  21. stock — shares
  22. swing — music
  23. kick — in football
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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