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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 116 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. press — newspapers
  3. squash — to crush
  4. degree — temperature
  5. face — to point toward
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. squash — the sport
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. craft — boats
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. face — part of the head
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. press — to push
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. degree — an amount
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. press — a publisher
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wake — a trail
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. face — to confront

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