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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. track — a song
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bat — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. race — the arms race
  13. root — of a word
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. track — a path
  17. root — the cause
  18. race — humankind
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. race — a contest
  21. track — to keep track
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — a publisher

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