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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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 — to push
  3. swing — music
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. squash — to crush
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rule — a law
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — child
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. press — a publisher
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. kid — to tease
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rule — government
  22. swing — in golf
  23. hide — animal skin
  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