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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. saw — the tool
  3. press — a publisher
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. swing — to play on
  6. cap — a hat
  7. press — to push
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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