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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. pit — in a race
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ground — crushed
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. game — a match
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ground — a position
  12. press — a publisher
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. game — wild animals
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. ground — the earth
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pit — a hole

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