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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 120 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: key · dip · ball · cap · press · hide · squash · fall

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. press — a publisher
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. squash — to crush
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fall — the season
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. press — newspapers
  13. key — in music
  14. ball — a dance
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fall — to drop
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ball — a great time
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. dip — to sink

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