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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: bound · firm · hand · cabinet · press · squash · plane · fan

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bound — obliged
  3. press — a publisher
  4. hand — in cards
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hand — help
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. press — newspapers
  13. firm — a company
  14. plane — a tool
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bound — tied together
  18. firm — decided
  19. bound — certain
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. squash — to crush
  22. firm — steady
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. press — to push

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