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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. present — there
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. squash — to crush
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — newspapers
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. squash — the sport
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. spell — a short time
  14. foot — a measure
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. spell — magic
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. spell — letters
  24. bear — the animal

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