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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. branch — a division
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. spring — the season
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. spring — of water
  15. bass — low music
  16. press — a publisher
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bass — the fish
  20. squash — the sport
  21. spring — a coil
  22. press — to push
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wave — with your hand

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