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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. press — a publisher
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. press — to push
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. field — a subject
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rest — a break
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — for sport
  24. pitcher — a jug

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