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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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468
Word bank
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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pop — music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. craft — boats
  10. lie — to recline
  11. press — a publisher
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pop — to visit
  19. press — to push
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pound — a weight
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pound — for dogs

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