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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. press — newspapers
  3. row — a line
  4. chip — to eat
  5. scale — in music
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — a cup
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. press — a publisher
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. row — to paddle
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mug — to rob
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. scale — size or range
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. coach — a trainer
  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