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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.

Make a worksheet

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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. object — a thing
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bass — the fish
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. squash — to crush
  10. press — to push
  11. wind — moving air
  12. object — to protest
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. rush — hurry
  15. row — to paddle
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. plane — a tool
  18. squash — the sport
  19. object — an aim
  20. press — newspapers
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bass — low music
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. press — a publisher

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