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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 took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. file — a document
  3. ground — a position
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ground — crushed
  10. dip — to sink
  11. court — of law
  12. press — newspapers
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. file — a line of people
  18. press — a publisher
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. court — for sport
  21. ground — the earth
  22. file — a tool
  23. court — of a king
  24. press — to push

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