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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. press — a publisher
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pit — in a race
  6. game — a match
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bound — certain
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. press — to push
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bound — tied together
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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