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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. stock — goods
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. present — there
  8. present — a gift
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. present — the time now
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. stock — shares
  15. press — a publisher
  16. ball — a dance
  17. press — newspapers
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bat — the animal
  23. press — to push
  24. ball — a great time

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