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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: chest · ball · stock · stick · mug · squash · wound · press

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mug — a face
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. press — to push
  7. chest — a box
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stock — goods
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. squash — the sport
  14. press — newspapers
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — to crush
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chest — of your body
  20. press — a publisher
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stock — shares
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. wound — an injury

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