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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pit — a hole
  8. press — to push
  9. stock — shares
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. press — newspapers
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. stock — goods
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wound — an injury

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