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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. wound — an injury
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — newspapers
  5. court — for sport
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. press — to push
  13. rash — hasty
  14. season — of the year
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. court — of law
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pound — a weight
  20. season — in sport
  21. rash — a series
  22. court — of a king
  23. wound — an injury
  24. leaves — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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