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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: mate · squash · bay · tear · mine · press · pitcher · wave

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mine — for digging
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. press — a publisher
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mate — a friend

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