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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. last — to go on
  3. ground — crushed
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. ground — a position
  10. press — a publisher
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. last — final
  13. last — finally
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. press — to push
  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