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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 120 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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. press — to push
  3. squash — to crush
  4. press — a publisher
  5. squash — the sport
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. press — newspapers
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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