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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. lash — an eyelash
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rush — hurry
  4. can — a tin
  5. mark — a grade
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. can — a tin
  10. march — music
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. press — to push
  13. march — the month
  14. snap — to click
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. key — in music
  18. can — to be able to
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mark — a trace
  21. march — the month
  22. key — the most important part
  23. lash — to lash out
  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