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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 120 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
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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: court · key · dip · press · wake · squash · bay · lie

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. court — for sport
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. key — in music
  6. press — to push
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. court — of a king
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wake — a trail
  13. squash — the sport
  14. press — a publisher
  15. key — the most important part
  16. court — of law
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. press — newspapers
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. squash — to crush
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. dip — to sink
  24. squash — the vegetable

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