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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 120 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cell — in biology
  9. pit — a hole
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bore — to drill
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. press — to push
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bore — to tire
  19. ground — the earth
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. press — a publisher
  22. ground — a position
  23. spell — letters
  24. press — newspapers

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