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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. can — a tin
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — for paper
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bear — the animal
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. row — a line
  18. can — to be able to
  19. press — to push
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. can — a tin

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