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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: season · squash · wake · wave · last · mouse · bore · press

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. press — to push
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — of the year
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. last — finally
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. squash — to crush
  23. wake — a trail
  24. mouse — the animal

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