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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. press — newspapers
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chest — of your body
  6. last — final
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bound — obliged
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. last — finally
  11. net — after costs
  12. bound — tied together
  13. press — to push
  14. chest — a box
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. net — in sport
  18. bound — certain
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. press — a publisher
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. last — to go on
  23. chest — of your body
  24. net — for catching

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