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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: mouse · season · land · rash · press · pop · dip · foot

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. land — to come down
  3. press — a publisher
  4. land — ground
  5. dip — to sink
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rash — a series
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pop — music
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pop — soda
  16. rash — hasty
  17. season — of the year
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. press — newspapers
  20. foot — a measure
  21. press — to push
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. land — a country

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