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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rest — what's left
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. perch — the fish
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rest — a break
  13. file — a document
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. press — to push
  16. file — a tool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rest — what's left
  24. file — a line of people

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