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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bore — to drill
  4. press — a publisher
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. press — to push
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. chip — for betting
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pit — in a race
  17. press — newspapers
  18. toast — bread
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bore — to tire
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. squash — the sport

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