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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.

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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: wave · key · press · firm · game · fork · squash · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. firm — decided
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. key — the most important part
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. game — wild animals
  9. firm — steady
  10. press — to push
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. key — for a lock
  14. fork — in a road
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. key — in music
  19. firm — a company
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. lie — to recline
  23. press — newspapers
  24. wave — of the sea

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