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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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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — a position
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. game — wild animals
  6. face — part of the head
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. press — to push
  9. ground — the earth
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. staff — a stick
  14. face — to point toward
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bulb — for light
  19. game — a match
  20. bulb — for light
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. face — to confront
  23. perch — the fish
  24. lash — to lash out

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