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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.

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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: stick · bass · race · squash · press · wind · patient · bowl

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. squash — to crush
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bass — low music
  5. press — newspapers
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. race — humankind
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. wind — moving air
  12. press — a publisher
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. press — to push
  23. race — a contest
  24. bass — the instrument

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