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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. squash — to crush
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. squash — the sport
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rest — a break
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rest — what's left
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. spring — of water
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rest — what's left

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