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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: mouse · wave · press · lie · season · squash · cell · fall

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. squash — to crush
  3. cell — in biology
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. press — to push
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. lie — to recline
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. season — of the year
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cell — a phone
  20. fall — to drop
  21. season — in sport
  22. press — a publisher
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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