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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. drill — a practice
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. drill — army training
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. press — a publisher
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. press — to push
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pitch — completely
  24. drill — the tool

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