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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. press — to push
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. spring — the season
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. press — a publisher
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. lie — to recline
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. press — newspapers

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