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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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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. press — newspapers
  3. lie — to recline
  4. court — of a king
  5. ground — crushed
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. club — for dancing
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. press — a publisher
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. club — a group
  14. cold — an illness
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. cold — not warm
  18. club — for golf
  19. ground — a position
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. press — to push
  24. ground — the earth

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