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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: hide · clip · foot · wave · plane · press · squash · land

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. plane — a tool
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. clip — a video
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. press — newspapers
  15. land — a country
  16. clip — for paper
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. land — ground
  20. foot — a measure
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. press — a publisher
  23. clip — to cut
  24. land — to come down

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