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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: kid · squash · bulb · bat · deal · can · face · press

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. kid — to tease
  4. face — to point toward
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. kid — child
  7. bulb — for light
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. press — newspapers
  11. squash — to crush
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. squash — the sport
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. squash — the vegetable

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