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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. field — for sport
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. field — farmland
  6. shower — rain
  7. mark — a grade
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. press — a publisher
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. field — a subject
  13. key — in music
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. press — to push
  17. mark — a trace
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. press — newspapers
  23. net — for catching
  24. shower — to wash

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