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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. press — newspapers
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pass — a permit
  10. drill — the tool
  11. chest — a box
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. drill — army training
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rash — hasty
  16. press — a publisher
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. chest — of your body
  24. press — to push

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