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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: squash · snap · racket · mine · press · dip · scale · mouse

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. dip — to sink
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. mine — for digging
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. snap — to click
  19. squash — to crush
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. squash — the sport
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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