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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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468
Word bank
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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. mate — a partner
  2. rash — a series
  3. mate — a friend
  4. press — a publisher
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. press — to push
  9. mate — to breed
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. press — newspapers
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fine — high quality
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. fine — all right
  16. chip — for betting
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — the cause
  19. rash — hasty
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. lash — to lash out
  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