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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bass — the fish
  3. rule — government
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. press — newspapers
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. squash — to crush
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. press — to push
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bass — low music
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pound — a weight

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