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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. spring — the season
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. suit — to fit
  7. spring — a coil
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bat — the animal
  11. suit — in cards
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bound — certain
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. press — to push
  16. spring — of water
  17. bound — obliged
  18. press — a publisher
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. court — of a king
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. suit — clothes

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