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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. stock — shares
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. press — a publisher
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — money
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mine — for digging
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. press — newspapers
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. stock — goods
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mine — an explosive

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