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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. staff — employees
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pitch — completely
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — to push
  11. craft — boats
  12. band — a ring
  13. staff — employees
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. staff — a stick
  16. band — a music group
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. season — of the year
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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