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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 120 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. dip — to sink
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wound — an injury
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. press — newspapers
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. rush — hurry
  11. spell — magic
  12. wound — an injury
  13. press — a publisher
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. snap — to click
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. squash — to crush
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. press — to push
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. rush — to hurry

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