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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. press — to push
  3. court — of a king
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. court — of law
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. branch — a division
  9. date — the fruit
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. last — finally
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. last — final
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. press — newspapers
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. court — for sport
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. press — a publisher
  22. deal — to handle
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. last — to go on

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