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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. suit — to fit
  3. press — a publisher
  4. face — to confront
  5. clip — for paper
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. face — to point toward
  9. ground — crushed
  10. suit — clothes
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. face — part of the head
  13. suit — in cards
  14. press — to push
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — a video
  19. ground — the earth
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. ground — a position
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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