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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · board · kick · squash · spring · press · wind · bay

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. spring — the season
  3. deal — to handle
  4. squash — to crush
  5. spring — of water
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. press — to push
  11. kick — in football
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. spring — a coil
  16. press — newspapers
  17. board — to get on
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. squash — the sport
  20. board — a committee
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. press — a publisher

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