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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: mug · squash · clip · lean · toast · cold · chair · season

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. clip — to cut
  3. lean — to bend
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cold — not warm
  6. squash — the sport
  7. mug — to rob
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. clip — for paper
  12. cold — an illness
  13. clip — a video
  14. toast — bread
  15. mug — a cup
  16. chair — a leader
  17. mug — a face
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. season — in sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. lean — thin

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