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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. scale — size or range
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. squash — to crush
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. squash — the sport
  11. sharp — clever
  12. press — newspapers
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. game — wild animals
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. scale — in music
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. game — a match
  24. bay — to keep at bay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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