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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mate — to breed
  6. degree — temperature
  7. press — to push
  8. bore — to drill
  9. object — a thing
  10. mate — a partner
  11. face — to confront
  12. object — to protest
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bore — to tire
  16. press — a publisher
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. degree — from a university
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mate — a friend
  24. object — an aim

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