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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. cap — of ice
  3. drill — the tool
  4. face — to confront
  5. craft — boats
  6. drill — a practice
  7. face — part of the head
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mate — to breed
  10. press — to push
  11. court — of a king
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mate — a partner
  15. cap — a hat
  16. court — for sport
  17. face — to point toward
  18. craft — a skill
  19. press — a publisher
  20. drill — army training
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mate — a friend
  23. cap — a lid
  24. court — of law

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