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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: bay · squash · rule · press · toast · spring · wake · mouse

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. press — to push
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. toast — bread
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rule — a law
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. spring — the season
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. spring — of water
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. rule — government
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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