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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. press — to push
  4. cue — a signal
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. press — newspapers
  10. toast — bread
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wind — moving air
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. chip — for betting
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cue — for pool
  22. chip — to eat
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. row — a line

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