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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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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pound — a weight
  6. suit — in cards
  7. press — to push
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bass — the fish
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bass — low music
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. squash — the sport
  20. suit — to fit
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. squash — to crush

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