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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: hide · arm · squash · stock · sharp · press · wave · plane

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. squash — to crush
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. squash — the sport
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. plane — a tool
  12. stock — goods
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. press — to push
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. press — a publisher
  22. sharp — clever
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stock — shares

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