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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.

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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. press — a publisher
  4. net — in sport
  5. pound — a weight
  6. press — to push
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. craft — boats
  10. net — for catching
  11. craft — a skill
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bore — to tire
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bore — to drill
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. press — newspapers
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. net — after costs

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