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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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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 · straw · snap · squash · safe · pound · press · nail

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pound — a weight
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. snap — to click
  19. squash — the sport
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. season — in sport
  24. squash — to crush

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