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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. squash — to crush
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. press — to push
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. press — newspapers
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chip — for betting
  23. game — a match
  24. squash — the vegetable

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