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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mug — a face
  4. field — a subject
  5. mug — to rob
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mug — a cup
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. swing — in golf
  10. squash — the sport
  11. swing — to play on
  12. press — to push
  13. wind — moving air
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. perch — the fish
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. press — a publisher
  18. field — for sport
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. swing — music
  23. field — farmland
  24. perch — for a bird

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