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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. key — the most important part
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. spell — a short time
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — to push
  13. ball — a great time
  14. spell — letters
  15. chair — a leader
  16. key — in music
  17. ball — a dance
  18. spell — magic
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. key — for a lock
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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