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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. ground — crushed
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. perch — the fish
  8. ground — a position
  9. firm — a company
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. press — to push
  13. bark — to shout
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — decided
  17. march — the month
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. press — a publisher
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. ground — the earth
  24. press — newspapers

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