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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. press — a publisher
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hand — in cards
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rest — what's left
  17. hand — help
  18. press — to push
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rest — a break
  24. squash — to crush

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