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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. cell — in biology
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. hand — help
  6. cell — a phone
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. press — a publisher
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. current — happening now
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. press — to push
  19. plane — a tool
  20. current — electric
  21. hand — in cards
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. current — of water
  24. nail — for a hammer

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