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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. mine — for digging
  7. fork — in a road
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. press — newspapers
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. trunk — of a car

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