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

Word bank: deal · key · jam · suit · press · wake · squash · kick

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. press — a publisher
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. press — to push
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. key — the most important part
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. key — for a lock
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. suit — clothes
  12. deal — to handle
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wake — a trail
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. suit — in cards
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. kick — in football
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. suit — to fit
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. key — in music
  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