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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 120 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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. leaves — to go away
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. press — a publisher
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. kick — in football
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. vault — a safe
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. net — after costs
  24. squash — the vegetable

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