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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.

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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rest — a break
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. capital — a city
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. press — to push
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cell — a phone
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cell — in biology
  17. capital — money
  18. key — for a lock
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. rest — what's left
  21. press — a publisher
  22. key — in music
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bark — to shout

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