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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: mug · nail · mine · press · stem · dip · perch · squash

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. squash — to crush
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. press — to push
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mug — to rob
  10. press — newspapers
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. mine — for digging
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. squash — the sport
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mug — a cup
  23. stem — to come from
  24. mug — a face

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