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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. wound — an injury
  6. band — a music group
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. press — to push
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. press — newspapers
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. band — a ring
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. press — a publisher
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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