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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. key — in music
  5. press — a publisher
  6. tear — from crying
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pound — a weight
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. club — a group
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. club — for dancing
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. suit — clothes
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. tear — from crying
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. key — for a lock
  23. club — for golf
  24. tear — to rip

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