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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. press — to push
  5. chip — to eat
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. chip — for betting
  10. firm — a company
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cap — a hat
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. firm — decided
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mark — a trace
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mark — a grade

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