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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: scale · spell · squash · ground · snap · bay · press · prune

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. ground — a position
  5. prune — to trim
  6. squash — the sport
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. spell — letters
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — to push
  13. snap — to click
  14. scale — size or range
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. scale — in music
  19. ground — crushed
  20. squash — to crush
  21. prune — to trim
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. prune — the fruit

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