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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.

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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. squash — the sport
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. press — a publisher
  6. squash — to crush
  7. degree — from a university
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. press — to push
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pop — music
  13. snap — to click
  14. pop — soda
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — temperature
  22. fall — the season
  23. pop — to visit
  24. press — newspapers

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