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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. press — a publisher
  3. spring — of water
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bulb — for light
  6. squash — to crush
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mate — to breed
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mate — a friend
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. press — to push
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. press — newspapers
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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