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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. foot — a measure
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. scale — in music
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. press — a publisher
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. key — in music
  14. cold — not warm
  15. press — to push
  16. key — for a lock
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. date — the fruit
  24. cold — an illness

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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