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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: current · squash · dip · press · lie · cue · club · kid

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. dip — to sink
  4. kid — child
  5. cue — a signal
  6. current — of water
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. current — electric
  9. club — for dancing
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. press — a publisher
  12. current — happening now
  13. cue — for pool
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. lie — to recline
  18. press — to push
  19. cue — a hint
  20. kid — to tease
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. press — newspapers
  24. dip — to dunk

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