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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: nail · press · bass · squash · season · band · kick · mate

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. press — newspapers
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. band — a ring
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. press — a publisher
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. press — to push
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. season — in sport
  12. mate — to breed
  13. kick — in football
  14. band — a music group
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mate — a friend
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bass — the fish
  19. mate — a partner
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — to add flavour

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