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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. face — to confront
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. object — to protest
  5. press — to push
  6. object — a thing
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. face — part of the head
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. press — newspapers
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stock — goods
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stock — shares
  21. wound — an injury
  22. object — an aim
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. stem — of a plant

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