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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: saw · squash · object · rest · tube · plane · press · march

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. tube — a container
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rest — a break
  7. squash — the sport
  8. press — newspapers
  9. march — music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. object — a thing
  12. rest — what's left
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. march — the month
  18. saw — the tool
  19. tube — the underground
  20. plane — a tool
  21. march — the month
  22. object — an aim
  23. press — a publisher
  24. object — to protest

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