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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 116 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. press — to push
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. press — newspapers
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rest — a break
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wind — moving air
  20. content — the amount
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. content — happy
  23. scale — in music
  24. press — a publisher

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