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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. press — to push
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. press — newspapers
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. perch — the fish
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. squash — to crush
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. hand — help
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. track — a path
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. hand — in cards
  21. lean — thin
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. press — a publisher
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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