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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. press — to push
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. file — a document
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. ball — a dance
  10. press — newspapers
  11. board — a committee
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. ball — a great time
  14. last — finally
  15. board — to get on
  16. last — to go on
  17. press — a publisher
  18. file — a tool
  19. sharp — clever
  20. last — final
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. file — a line of people
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. board — a flat piece

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