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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.

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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. ground — a position
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. clip — a video
  7. ground — the earth
  8. craft — a skill
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fall — to drop
  12. press — newspapers
  13. clip — to cut
  14. fine — all right
  15. fall — to drop
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. press — to push
  18. deal — to handle
  19. clip — for paper
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fall — 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