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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: plane · snap · press · cue · cell · squash · mouse · bowl

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cell — in biology
  3. press — to push
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. snap — to click
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the sport
  11. cue — a signal
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. press — newspapers
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. cell — a phone
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. press — a publisher
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mouse — the animal

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