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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
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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: bay · press · foot · spell · track · squash · plane · rule

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. spell — magic
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — government
  7. press — to push
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. plane — a tool
  15. spell — a short time
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. press — newspapers
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — a measure
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. spell — letters

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