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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: saw · wind · press · arm · foot · suit · squash · ball

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. squash — to crush
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. saw — the tool
  10. suit — clothes
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wind — moving air
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. press — to push
  19. press — newspapers
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  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