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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. wound — an injury
  3. scale — in music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. craft — boats
  13. degree — temperature
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bore — to drill
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wound — an injury
  19. press — a publisher
  20. scale — size or range
  21. press — to push
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bear — to put up with

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