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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. ground — a position
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. press — to push
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. last — finally
  9. cell — in biology
  10. sharp — clever
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. deal — to handle
  13. ground — crushed
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. press — newspapers
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cell — a phone
  18. last — to go on
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. last — final
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ground — the earth
  24. press — a publisher

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