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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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. spell — magic
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pop — music
  12. stem — to come from
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pop — soda
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. press — to push
  22. spell — letters
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pop — to visit

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