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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. spell — letters
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mark — a grade
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mark — a trace
  10. spell — a short time
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bore — to drill
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. fine — all right
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. press — to push
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bore — to tire
  23. spell — magic
  24. mark — to pay attention

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