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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. deal — to handle
  3. press — newspapers
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. squash — the sport
  6. press — a publisher
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. spell — a short time
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. squash — to crush
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cold — not warm
  21. press — to push
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. spell — letters
  24. cold — an illness

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