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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. press — a publisher
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mate — a friend
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. craft — boats
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mate — to breed
  11. roll — a list
  12. pop — music
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mate — a partner
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. roll — a cake
  20. ball — a dance
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. ball — a great time
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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