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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
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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 · firm · rash · face · press · bound · current · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rash — hasty
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rash — a series
  7. face — to confront
  8. season — in sport
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. firm — a company
  15. face — to point toward
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bound — certain
  18. season — of the year
  19. firm — steady
  20. current — happening now
  21. press — to push
  22. firm — decided
  23. face — part of the head
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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