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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. press — newspapers
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bat — the animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. press — to push
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stem — to come from
  22. press — a publisher
  23. rest — a break
  24. cabinet — ministers

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