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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. rest — what's left
  7. race — a contest
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. firm — a company
  10. rest — a break
  11. toast — bread
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. firm — steady
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — humankind
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. firm — decided
  24. straw — a straw man

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