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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. last — final
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. staff — a stick
  7. last — finally
  8. object — a thing
  9. court — of a king
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. object — to protest
  12. staff — employees
  13. last — to go on
  14. press — to push
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. press — a publisher
  17. staff — employees
  18. root — of a plant
  19. court — for sport
  20. root — the cause
  21. press — newspapers
  22. root — of a word
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. court — of law

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