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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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Word bank
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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. spell — a short time
  4. clip — to cut
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. saw — the tool
  9. press — newspapers
  10. clip — a video
  11. spell — magic
  12. clip — for paper
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. squash — the sport
  18. saw — the tool
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. scale — size or range
  21. squash — to crush
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. spell — letters

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