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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. sharp — clever
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. press — to push
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. press — newspapers
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pop — music
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rash — a series
  21. pit — in a race
  22. charge — a price
  23. press — a publisher
  24. sharp — with an edge

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