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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cell — a phone
  3. board — a committee
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. pop — music
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cell — in biology
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. board — to get on
  20. rush — hurry
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pound — a weight

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