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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. degree — from a university
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. press — newspapers
  7. degree — temperature
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. degree — an amount
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. game — a match
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. press — a publisher
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. game — wild animals
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rash — hasty
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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