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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. press — newspapers
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. ball — a great time
  5. press — to push
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. spring — a coil
  8. press — a publisher
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. capital — a city
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. root — of a plant
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. root — the cause
  20. spring — of water
  21. capital — money
  22. root — of a word
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. capital — a big letter

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