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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. row — a line
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. sharp — clever
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. press — to push
  15. firm — a company
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. press — a publisher
  21. foot — a measure
  22. row — to paddle
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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