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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. net — after costs
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. perch — the fish
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. net — for catching
  11. suit — clothes
  12. tear — to rip
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. suit — in cards
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. net — in sport
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. tear — from crying

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