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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. file — a line of people
  3. spell — letters
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. rash — a series
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. press — a publisher
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. content — the amount
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. file — a document
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. spell — a short time
  18. press — to push
  19. spell — magic
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. file — a tool
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. rash — hasty
  24. content — happy

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