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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: snap · drill · mug · wound · spell · squash · bear · press

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. squash — to crush
  6. press — to push
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spell — magic
  11. mug — to rob
  12. press — a publisher
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. press — newspapers
  20. squash — the sport
  21. drill — army training
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. drill — the tool

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