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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. fine — high quality
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fine — all right
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bat — the animal
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — government

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