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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mate — to breed
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. land — a country
  5. press — to push
  6. row — to paddle
  7. charge — in control
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. land — ground
  11. wake — a trail
  12. charge — electricity
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. mate — a partner
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. charge — a price
  19. row — a line
  20. mate — a friend
  21. band — a music group
  22. land — to come down
  23. band — a ring
  24. wake — before a funeral

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