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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.

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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rest — a break
  4. shower — to wash
  5. chip — to eat
  6. press — newspapers
  7. firm — decided
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. firm — steady
  10. bound — obliged
  11. spring — a coil
  12. rest — what's left
  13. shower — rain
  14. bound — certain
  15. firm — a company
  16. rest — what's left
  17. press — to push
  18. press — a publisher
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. spring — of water
  21. chip — for betting
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. spring — the season

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