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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: squash · kick · object · lie · ground · fall · press · leaves

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. object — a thing
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fall — the season
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. fall — to drop
  11. press — a publisher
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. ground — the earth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. fall — to drop
  16. squash — to crush
  17. kick — in football
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. object — an aim
  20. press — newspapers
  21. object — to protest
  22. ground — a position
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. ground — crushed

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