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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: press · saw · cold · ruler · game · squash · can · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. saw — the tool
  6. press — a publisher
  7. game — a match
  8. can — a tin
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. cold — not warm
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. can — a tin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. game — wild animals
  16. squash — the sport
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. press — to push
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. can — to be able to
  21. squash — to crush
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cold — an illness
  24. ruler — for measuring

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