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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. scale — size or range
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. shower — rain
  8. scale — in music
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — to push
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. date — the fruit
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. press — newspapers

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