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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. squash — to crush
  6. tube — the underground
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. press — a publisher
  10. tube — a container
  11. press — to push
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. lie — to recline
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. press — newspapers
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. snap — to click
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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