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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.

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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: mouse · chair · wave · bark · mate · squash · deal · press

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mate — a friend
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. deal — to handle
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mate — to breed
  11. press — a publisher
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. press — newspapers
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. chair — a leader
  22. squash — to crush
  23. press — to push
  24. squash — the sport

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