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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 120 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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. press — newspapers
  3. spell — a short time
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bark — to shout
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. spell — letters
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. file — a tool
  10. land — to come down
  11. fine — high quality
  12. spell — magic
  13. press — a publisher
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. press — to push
  18. land — ground
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fine — all right
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a document
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. land — a country

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