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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. deal — to handle
  4. press — a publisher
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. land — a country
  7. land — ground
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. press — newspapers
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. press — to push
  16. stem — to come from
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. land — to come down
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. stem — of a plant

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