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

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mine — for digging
  4. perch — the fish
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. row — to paddle
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. press — to push
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. row — a line
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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